


An Arranged Alliance

by pamavery12



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alliance, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, F/M, M/M, Mutants, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-15 12:02:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3446426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pamavery12/pseuds/pamavery12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kayden, a beautiful mutant Warrior, is forced into an arranged marriage with a stranger from the Ark colonies. Having always put duty above desire, she reluctantly agrees to be a pawn in the Alliance; sacrificing happiness for responsibility. But is it possible that the two may coincide? 100 AU before Mountain Men, no Grounder Alliance. Bellamy/OC, minor Jasper/Monty, minor Wick/Raven, other characters appear</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I only own my OC's! Everyone else belongs to their respective owners, CW Network, the original book author Kass Morgan, etc. This is my first story, so I'm not very versed in this kind of thing. Please read, rate, and review and don't be afraid to point out any mistakes or message/comment with some feedback. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also I read the fic "Love Will Come Through" by monroeslittle (highly recommend it) and this sort of inspired it so yeah. 
> 
> *Note: I may not finish this story. Please be aware of the unreliability of fic authors before you read this ;)
> 
> *Second note: Mutants are kind of like X-men universe mutants. They look like regular people, just with abilites. And some can have physical anomalies as well.

"Tell me it's not true!" she screamed, running into the Council chambers. A few of the council members who had their backs to her turned to face her with startled expressions. "Please," she pleaded, staring directly at the woman dominating the head of the table.

The Commander stared back, her expression neutral. She let out a low sigh; as if she had been expecting this. She turned to the elderly man at her right and whispered something to him. He immediately stood up and signalled to the other council members to follow. They filed out of the room like ants fleeing a hole as the woman and the girl continued to stare at each other in silence. Neither said a word until they heard the chamber door bang shut. The girl was the first to break the silence.

"How could you do this to me?" she asked, staring accusingly at the woman with piercing emerald eyes.

The Commander let out another sigh, massaging her temples with her fingers.

"Kayden, is this really necessary?"

"Necessary?" she gasped. "You're forcing me into an arranged marriage and you're asking me if this is necessary?"

The woman let out another sigh. Her blue eyes, usually sharp with intelligence and cunning, softened as they turned on the girl. "We had no choice." She pronounced every word.

"You had a choice. You could have said no," Kayden stated unflinchingly.

"We need this alliance, Kayden. You know that."

"And there was no other way? No deal? No compromise?"

"This was the compromise."

"But why me?" Kayden pleaded. "Plenty of council members have children. Why me?"

At this, the Commander rose from her seat and began pacing, her hands clasped firmly behind her back.

"Because it was your parents wish that if a deal were ever to be brokered with the humans, that you would be the one to do it."

"I don't think this is what they had in mind," Kayden growled.

"No," she turned towards the girl. "But it's what they wanted."

"What? For me to be sold like cattle?"

"For you to be safe."

Kayden stared defiantly back at her, but remained silent.

"This alliance is risky no matter how we approach it," she started slowly. "But if it should go south, then you will be safest at the heart of it. Once you're one of theirs, they'll protect you."

"I don't want protection. I don't need it," Kayden spat.

"Nevertheless, you will have it. You are the strongest mutant to be born in generations, Kayden. And despite what you might like to believe, you can be killed. I won't allow that to happen. So, like it or not, you will be protected at all costs. And this is how its done." At the last sentence the Commander turned, heading back towards her seat at the head of the council.

"What if I refuse,?" Kayden said quietly. She raised her voice and continued. "What if I run?"

The woman turned to stare at her once again and looked right back into her fierce green eyes.

"I can't stop you. But if we fail to present you to them then they will assume we didn't uphold our end of the bargain. There won't be another chance like this. The alliance will break, and we will have no choice but to go to war."

"Then go to war!" Kayden shouted, her self-control slipping momentarily. She regained her composure and spoke in a deadly serious tone. "I am a warrior. Not a wife. I would fight to the death for our people."

"I know you would. But it's not just you. You think we can contain this kind of warfare?" For the first time, the Commander displayed an emotion other than indifference. "Civilians will die too. Children. Is that really what you want?"

Kayden exhaled solemnly. "You know it's not," she answered in a low voice. The fight drained out of her and her shoulders sagged in defeat.

The sight of the girl in such despair caused the Commander's formal façade to fade. She approached Kayden and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry it had to be like this. If there were any other way…" She left it at that and returned to her Commander's chair. She called to the council members waiting outside the chamber, prompting them to return to session.

Kayden stalked out of the room and heard the many voices of the council rise up again in heated discussion before the chamber door closed behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The council was debating about food supply when a messenger quickly darted to the Chancellor's side and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened excitedly and the rest of the council quieted as she thanked the messenger, who then backed out of the room.

She cleared her throat, demanding silence, but the chamber was already quiet.

"We've heard from the Mutant Commander," Chancellor Abby announced.

"And?" Kane asked on behalf of the rest of the council, all eager for the news.

"Commander Grimelda has agreed to our proposal. She's chosen a bride to bring forth to the Alliance." At this, Abby surveyed the room, silently hoping that someone would say something before she had to continue. The room was silent. Then Councilman Jaha spoke.

"It seems you have a decision to make, esteemed Chancellor." While Thellonius had by now accepted the fact that Abby was to remain Chancellor for the foreseeable future, the tinge of condescension in his voice was unmistakable.

Abby scowled at Jaha disapprovingly. While small silent clashes such as these were commonplace among the council, she never took kindly to being undermined.

"I won't choose someone to do this. Not until we've properly canvassed for a possible volunteer," she finally retorted.

When no one offered a solution, she scanned the faces of the various council members, hoping to prompt a response. The room remained silent. The Chancellor sighed.

"Councilman Sykes," she turned towards the feeble man and attempted a smile. "You have a son of age, don't you?"

The Councilman squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Yes. Yes I do," he stammered.

No further response was offered and Abby was forced to continue questioning.

"And, would Garrett be… " she tried to choose her next word carefully. "Interested?"

"I can ask," Sykes squeaked.

Abby sighed once more before directing a forced smile at the sweating Councilman and nodding understandingly.

"Would anyone else care to-"

"I'll do it."

Gasps broke out among the council as all turned to face the direction the voice came from. Abby turned as well to see whomever had spoken. There was silence in the room as everyone waited to see what would happen next. And then…

"Bellamy?" Clarke broke the silence, the disbelief in her voice audible.

The Chancellor jumped in before more could be said, more useless rhetoric exchanged. "You wish to marry this girl? To forge the alliance with the mutants?"

Bellamy had stood up when he spoke. He looked at Clarke briefly before responding to the Chancellor's question. Clarke's eyes pleaded with him. She shook her head at him almost imperceptibly, but remained silent. He turned to face Abby.

"We need this alliance, right? I'm of age. Unattached. I have influence in this council. I volunteer." He spoke with cold logic, not the slightest trace of emotion or hesitation in his voice.

While Abby allowed Clarke and Bellamy to sit in on certain council meetings out of respect to their undeniable leadership skills, she had never expected anything to come of it. Especially not something like this. The Elders of the Ark were silent and here was young Bellamy, offering a solution which no other council member could. She didn't know what to say. The tone of formality slipped from her voice, for this wasn't some councilman she had to lull with bombastic flattery. He was a kid.

"Are you sure?" She asked casually with a twinge of doubt, angling her head in a questioning manner.

Bellamy stared at his feet for a moment, silently contemplating what he was about to say. When he looked back up at her, there was no doubt in his eyes. He spoke firmly. "Yes," he said. "I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

Kayden sighed. She tried to turn around to see herself in the mirror but the seamstress slapped the back of her leg so she'd turn back around. "Stand up straight," the older woman squawked.

The girl turned reluctantly, trying not to squirm. She had been standing with her arms out for nearly 20 minutes. They were getting tired. She started tapping her foot before receiving yet another slap.

"Hold still, Warrior girl. You'll ruin the fine fabric and I'm almost done," she croaked. The woman rose up and began tying an ornate gold band around the teenager's waist to hold the sheer robe in place.

Kayden chewed her bottom lip like she was always did when she was fed up or bored. She blew a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"There," the woman sighed. "All done. Finally."

 _Thank God_ , Kayden thought to herself, rolling her eyes. She dropped her arms to her sides with relief.

"And no thanks to you, young lady!" she spat, wagging a finger at Kayden's face.

The teenager stuck out her tongue mockingly. But before the seamstress could do anything, Kayden was dragged off off the show stool and out of the room.

"Hey!" She cried out, jerking her arm free. She turned to see an older girl with warm brown eyes, pale skin, a round face and strawberry blonde hair. "Julie!" Kayden exclaimed, hugging her friend. "How long's it been?"

"Careful," the other girl said, shoving Kayden away. "You'll ruin the dress and I don't want to get in trouble." She smiled warmly and Kayden returned the gesture. Then she realized the circumstances under which they were meeting and frowned.

"I'm getting married," Kayden said sadly, looking down.

"I know," Julie answered, taking the young girl's hands in her own. They stood there in silence for a moment before Julie spoke.

"Well, let's not dwindle on that! We're going to make you look beautiful, right?" Julie tried to cheer up her friend but Kayden just looked away longingly.

"Come on," Julie said. She led her into a room with a stool in the middle. There was a desk to the side covered in all manner of decoration and accessory. Colorful ribbons, beautiful flowers, and ornate jewelry lined the table.

Julie sat Kayden down on the stool and grabbed the hair brush from the edge of the desk. She opened her mouth to speak but then thought better of it. The older girl brushed her friend's long, brown hair in silence, realizing there wasn't much more to be said about the situation. Kayden's strands turned golden when the light from the window hit them at just the right angle, and they sat like this for a while; no sound in the room but the gentle tug of the hair brush.

When Julie finished brushing her hair, she walked around Kayden's side to start braiding a few strands.

Kayden spoke. "I don't know why the council is so dead-set on me getting pretty for the ceremony. It's not as if it's a real marriage."

"Well, it's important that the whole thing maintains an air of celebration. The council is under a lot of pressure. For this to work, the people have to believe it can."

"You mean we have to make them believe it can." Kayden paused. "Put on a show."

"Whatever works I guess." The older girl smiled.

Julie quickly finished braiding the other side of Kayden's hair and began on the jewelry. She placed matching golden bangles on either of Kayden's wrists and a golden anklet just above the girl's right foot.

Kayden stared at the bangles curiously. "They're giving me riches?"

"Peace offerings," Julie answered, turning to face the table again.

"They feel more like shackles."

The older girl furrowed her brows in worry. It hurt her so much to see her friend in such pain. But what could she do? True, Julie was Kayden's senior by a few years, but the younger girl had always been the stronger one. Kayden had been called up to the Warrior training camp at only 8 years old. Julie had had to wait until her traditional 10th birthday before choosing her calling. And even then had landed the useless job of stylist. If Kayden - beautiful, strong, independent Kayden had given up, what could Julie do? Nothing. Nothing but sit and watch and hope.

Julie turned to face her friend once again. She playfully pursed her lips. "Something's missing…"

"Ah!" Julie exclaimed, grabbing a large copper amulet off the table. It was circular and had a large blue stone the color of the ocean embedded in its center. "There," she breathed. "You're almost ready."

Next, Julie started on the makeup.

There wasn't really much to be done, Kayden was already beautiful. She had bright green eyes the color of emeralds. They shone with a dark intensity and had flecks of gold in them which reflected back intelligence and confidence. She had a small, elegant nose, beautiful fair skin, and full pink lips. Julie had always been a bit jealous if she was being honest. Even with the makeup she wore every day, her looks couldn't hold a candle to Kayden's dark lashes and wide eyes. But Julie could never be envious of her friend's fate.

In the end, she decided to go for a simpler look. She brushed crushed gold powder onto Kayden's eyelids. She lined her lashes with a dark coal tip. The final touch was a bright pink liquid that Julie placed on the apple's of Kayden's cheeks and on her lips. Julie made sure to cover the only imperfection on Kayden's face - a pale white scar on her bottom lip - as she had been instructed to.

Kayden sniffed the air. "Magao berries?" She asked.

Julie smiled. "The Commander insisted."

The younger girl tried to return the smile but faltered. Julie took her hands like she had before.

"Come and see. Those humans won't know what hit 'em."

Julie helped Kayden up off the stool and walked her towards the mirror. Kayden looked up and gasped. She tilted her head side to side, taking in all the details. Julie had braided ribbons and flowers into her hair, securing it into an ornate half-up-do. She'd chosen jewelry and makeup that accentuated Kayden's features. She looked beautiful. Delicate. Refined. And…

"I don't look anything like me," Kayden stated.

"Well, you look even more beautiful."

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean I don't look anything like me. I don't look like a warrior. The Commander's made sure that you've erased any trace of fighter in me. She doesn't want the humans to be intimidated."

The way Kayden said it was plainly; without thought or emotion. She was merely stating a simple fact.

"Well I think you look beautiful," Julie said warmly in one last attempt to cheer up her friend. Kayden didn't even try to pretend like it would help this time. She sighed longingly and spoke solemnly.

"They'll be waiting for me. I should get going."

"Alright," Julie said. She let go of Kayden's hands. She watched her friend turn and head out the door but quickly pulled her back and into a hug. The older girl began to tear and brushed a strand out of her friend's face when Kayden pulled out of the embrace.

"Look at me. You're the one being forced off into marriage, and I'm crying," Julie whimpered.

"You always were a crier." Kayden finally smiled this time, genuinely. "Even when my parents died, you cried more than me, I think."

Julie chuckled, still tearing. "You didn't cry at all."

"Well how could I? You were crying enough for the both us."

Julie stopped smiling and for the first time that day she looked at Kayden, really looked at Kayden, with true sadness and sorrow and pity. "I'll cry enough for the both of us this time too," she breathed.

Kayden offered one final smile and squeezed Julie's hand. Then she turned to leave and was gone.

Julie cleaned up the desk and put all the accessories and makeup away. When she finished, she put the boxes away, laid her head down on the stool and cried until her tears ran out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note - Dax is not the same character from the 100. I just liked the name.

Kayden swore as she tried to get onto her horse. Without boots on, and with the stupid mass of fabric in the way, she couldn't get a proper grip on the stirrup.

"Need a little help there, Princess?" The statement was followed by a laugh that Kayden knew well. She turned to a see young man in armor ride up on a white horse. Kayden gave him her classic _I'm going to kill you later_ look and rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"What are you doing here, Dax," she responded. "I thought you were supposed to be part of the rear guard. You know, where the other useless soldiers are."

"Oh! Big talk coming from a girl in a gown."

When Kayden finally got on her horse, she turned to face him. Dax had always had a regal look about him, what with his chocolate colored skin, caramel cat eyes, and shaved head. He had mastered the relaxed yet alert look, always ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. Kayden trotted over to him.

"I can still kick your ass," she said daringly. The two stared at each other in silence. Then, Dax broke into a smile.

"Damn right you could," he laughed. Kayden began laughing as well and held out her fist to signal their signature handshake.

"Aw, I'm gonna miss you, Kid," Dax sighed. He didn't bother with pleasantries like Julie had. Dax was a warrior - he always got straight to the point. But he also didn't act as if forced marriage were that dreadful. Most mutants had seen their fair share of true tragedy.

Kayden was about to return the sentiment, but a horn blew in the distance signalling that the party was about to start moving. She offered a smile in Dax's direction, knowing he'd understand, and directed her horse to the Mid-guard where she had been instructed to ride.

A young man with sandy colored hair and stubble on his chiselled face rode up next to Kayden.

"What, no shoes?"

Kayden turned to see the man and scoffed. The corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile.

"My stylist thought it interfered with the look," she responded, letting go her reins and putting the last two words in air quotes.

"Some look," a woman said, riding up to Kayden's other side and signalling behind her. Kayden turned to see a female warrior with spiky blonde hair tied up in a red bandana.

"Hey Cleo," Kayden smiled. The woman raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down. Kayden couldn't help but blush a bit out of embarrassment. These were her friends, her partners. Warriors and soldiers she'd fought side by side with. And now they were guarding her, and she was wearing a stupid dress and no shoes. For the first time since all this had happened, Kayden felt the true gravity of her situation. She was going to lose everything that she had. They wouldn't let her fight in the Ark camps. She would be an outsider.

 _It isn't fair,_ she thought sadly. _They're never going to see me again. Not how they used to, at least. Not as a fellow Warrior._

Kayden didn't know what else to say. The brief moments of amusement had ended when the procession started moving. It wasn't just Kayden who had adopted an air of seriousness. Everyone was on edge.

She hung her head as the party rode towards the Ark camps in absolute silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're coming up on the camp," the rider said. He'd been one of the messengers to trot down the lineup spreading the news. "The Commander wants you at the front." He nodded in Kayden's direction. She nodded quietly to show that she understood. He eyed her suspiciously before continuing down the procession.

She broke the line and made her way to the Commander's formation. When one of Grimelda's guards saw Kayden approach, he alerted the Commander to her presence. The older woman turned to face Kayden, her long dark hair glimmering as she offered the girl a bright, wide smile. Kayden held no reservations from the Commander; she didn't even pretend to smile.

Grimelda gestured to Kayden to come join her at her side. The teenager reluctantly trotted up to fall in line beside the Commander's black steed.

"Well, how are you feeling?" Grimelda asked politely.

"Every muscle in my body is telling me that we're in enemy territory. To run or fight." She turned away from the Commander. "Or both..." Kayden added under her breath.

Grimelda gave her a look of frustration. "Well hopefully if this Alliance is successful it won't feel like enemy territory for long." Grimelda's features softened when she saw the tenacity in the young girl's eyes.

"They've prepared a celebration in your honor. You're representing all of us. You should smile."

Grimelda had meant it as a comfort but at this, Kayden looked at the Commander with such ferocity that her breath caught. She looked exactly like her mother, who'd died many years ago and had been a close friend of Grimelda's. It was the close connection that Grimelda had felt towards Kayden's mother that had caused her to feel responsible for the child after her parents' unfortunate passing.

"I am doing this for our people. For our future." She paused. "So I will be your pawn. Your princess. Your bride." Kayden flashed those intense green eyes at Grimelda. "But don't for a second think that I am going to smile about it. Not ever."

"Well I need to present them with a princess. So act like a princess. Our people depend on it."

Kayden and the Commander didn't speak for the next while, and the girl avoided looking at the older woman as well. She had too many emotions towards Grimelda now, and she needed to keep her head about her.

It wasn't until Kayden's horse bumped into the rider in front of her that she even realized the procession had stopped. She looked at Grimelda. The Commander's expression was unreadable. She'd been here before as an enemy, and now she was about to walk in as a guest. Grimelda held her chin up.

"We're here," she declared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"They're here," the messenger stated, out of breath after having run from the gates.

The Chancellor got up from her seat and began walking towards the camp's only entrance. "Is everything ready?" she asked. Kane had fallen into step beside.

"Yes. Everything's prepared for their arrival," he answered.

"Even our... extra measures?" She looked at Kane sideways, her question clear. Kane swallowed.

"Yes. Even them. They're up in the trees. Ready to fire if this thing goes south."

"Good," Abby nodded her approval. A good Chancellor fought for peace, but had to always be ready for war. Jaha had told her that once.

"And Bellamy? He's the one marrying her after all, he should be here to greet them."

"I'm afraid he's... disappeared at the moment. But I'll see what I can do." At this, Kane spun on his heel and left Abby to go speak to his soldiers.

Abby sighed as she came up on the gates. When Clarke saw her mother she jogged up beside her.

"Ready?" Abby asked her daughter. The Chancellor turned to face the teenager. She looked so much like her father. Standing there, staring out into the distance. The wheels in her head turning, analyzing. It was hard for Abby to remember that Clarke was a leader now. Confident, strong, independent. If it hadn't been for the look Clarke gave her mom and the nerves that had plagued everyone at the camp since morning, Clarke's next words would have shocked Abby.

"This is either going to be a blast, or a blood bath," she said. The Chancellor didn't know how else to respond but to give the signal to the guards and watch as the gate's creaked open.


	4. Chapter 4

The Commander rode in first. She had insisted that Kayden follow next, and her guards after that. There was silence as they entered the camp. Kayden could see people gathered around the gate. They all watched in silence as Kayden and the Commander slowly guided their horses through the pathway that the soldiers had made for them.

People whispered as they passed by. Some onlookers pointed at Kayden then turned to their neighbors to continue gossiping in hushed tones. She wished she knew what they were saying. It made her uncomfortable to know that she was being spoken about and yet not know what was being said.

Someone reached out and touched her foot and Kayden tensed. She almost turned to attack but quickly calmed and reminded herself that she was here on peaceful terms. _I'm not here to fight,_ she told herself.

She swiveled in her saddle only to see that the one who had touched her was only a child. A small boy who had been on his father's shoulders. His father scolded him for doing so, then realized that Kayden was looking directly at them. He stared at Kayden, and she noticed something strange in his eyes.

 _They're afraid of us_ , she thought. She broke eye contact with the man and continued trotting behind Grimelda. It was strange to think that these people were afraid of her. She was the one in enemy territory. Her people were outnumbered 100 to 1. And yet, these civilians still feared her. _They must know what we can do. Their Chancellor must have told them._

She hadn't wanted to be treated like the princess that the Commander had instructed her to act like. But still, she'd rather have been looked at with false adoration then with real fear. She didn't like being feared. There weren't just soldiers here. There were children, families. And they were all afraid of her and her people.

Suddenly, Kayden found herself being thankful for her makeup and dress. There was no use in showing strength here. She was getting married one way or another. And if she was going to win over the people of the Ark, she was going to have to become one of them. And that meant not being a threat. _Been here less than 5 minutes and they're already undoing me,_ she thought sarcastically.

The Commander's horse stopped when they reached the woman standing at the end of the pathway. Kayden pulled her horse to a halt as well. The woman stood facing Grimelda, chin held high. She was pretty, for an older woman. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a braid and she had a large smile plastered on her face. She reminded Kayden of the Commander.

"Welcome," she declared. The soldiers at her sides tensed; their fingers tightened on their automatic triggers. The Commander dismounted from her horse. Everyone in the clearing waited in silence for what would come next. Grimelda remained cool and collected as always. She could have been about to hug the Chancellor, or about to stab her. Even Kayden wasn't sure what she was about to do. Then Grimelda reached out her hand to the other woman and spoke.

"It's good to be here," she stated simply, ever the diplomat. The two women shook hands and the crowd erupted in cheers. It seemed their people were as happy about the lack of bloodshed as Kayden and her party were.

The civilians dispersed and Kayden watched as they all headed towards the celebration that had been set up. Kayden watched them walk off, laughing and clapping each other on the back. It reminded her of her own people, back home, on a bonfire night. She was pulled out of her reverie by a deep masculine voice. She looked down to see a middle-aged man with light skin and dark hair. She was so surprised at being spoken to that she must have looked like a child caught stealing a toy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Kayden. My name is councillor Kane," the man said. "Please." He gestured to Kayden that she should dismount. She began to but was stopped by the voice of the Commander.

"Help her," Grimelda ordered the soldiers at Kayden's sides.

Kayden felt like slapping the Commander for that one, but reminded herself that she was supposed to be a dainty princess. She inhaled and allowed the guards to help her down from her horse, trying to keep her expression neutral rather than murderous.

When she reached the ground, Kane offered her his arm. She reluctantly took it and began walking with him. Her guards moved to follow but the Commander intervened yet again.

"Let them," she ordered.

 _She wants them to trust her_ , Kayden deduced. _She wants him to see that we're not a threat_.

Kayden took one final look behind her shoulder at the Commander. Grimelda nodded in her direction. _Let them think you're weak,_ her eyes told her. Kayden knew the Commander well enough to know what she did not say. _For if we need to attack, we'll need your strength from the inside._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Councillor escorted Kayden to the table where the Chancellor and the other council members sat. Kane introduced her to all of them.

Most of the councillors smiled politely at Kayden and shook her hand, offering her compliments on her hair or her dress. One or two said something about the excessive force their party had brought with them. And the rest just simply gave her a nod of acknowledgement, not saying anything to her at all.

Kayden was just about to ask if she could be excused to go speak to her Commander when she and Kane reached the Chancellor's seat. The older woman simply stared at her analytically, not saying anything while Kane introduced her as Chancellor Abby.

Kayden remembered what Grimelda had said. _Act like a princess. Let them think you're weak._ She faced Abby and curtsied as well as she could. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Chancellor," she said sweetly. It didn't come naturally to her but she hoped that she sounded warmer than she thought. At first, she thought Abby wasn't going to say anything back; but then she spoke.

"You're very beautiful," the older woman said. She paused, and Kayden could see the gears turning in her head; the intelligent leader behind the diplomatic rhetoric. "Your Commander has done a good job of hiding the fact that you're a warrior." She said it matter-of-factly. Not an accusation, but an observation.

Kayden didn't know what to respond but she couldn't help but smile at what the Chancellor had said. _She's smart,_ Kayden observed. _She and the Commander would get along famously if they weren't enemies._ Maybe they would one day.

Kayden simply offered Abby a warm smile and politely asked if she could take a seat, she was tired from the ride in. _This whole princess thing may be easier than I thought._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few hours passed by in a blur. Kayden had taken a seat at the end of the council table. Her guards had caught up with her and stood by her side for a bit, before the Commander stopped by and ordered them to stand down as they were replaced with guards from the Ark.

Kayden wished she could get up and celebrate with all of the people, but the Commander had given her another one of her looks as she passed by. _Lay low_ , her eyes had said. _You're doing well._

So Kayden sat and looked pretty for what felt like forever. She watched the sun move across the sky. It would be sunset in no more than a couple of hours. That was when the ceremony was to take place.

_Two hours away from my wedding, and I still haven't even met my husband-to-be._

That was when someone approached Kayden. She looked up to see an older man with dark skin, frizzy gray-speckled hair, and kind eyes. He offered her a warm smile. Her breath caught.

"Are you the groom?" she asked without thinking. She immediately regretted it but was relieved when the man shook his head and chuckled.

"Oh good Lord. No, my dear. My name is Councillor Jaha. Forgive me for not being present earlier, I was a bit pre-occupied." There was that smile again. Kayden relaxed a little. She couldn't help but be happy that he wasn't the man she was going to marry, though he struck her as a kind soul. Caring and warm-hearted, at the very least. He reminded her of Grandfather Po, one of the elders who'd been around back when she was little. He used to sit by the fire and tell stories to all the children in the camp.

Kayden looked to Jaha and returned a small smile. "It's an honor to meet you," she said politely.

"You've been sitting here for hours, I'm told. Would you care to dance?"

Normally, Kayden would have been weary of any strange old man who asked her to dance. But Kayden could tell that he wasn't asking out of malice or desire. He was merely asking as a gentleman to politely offer her a chance to get away from the Councillor's table. She nodded in gratitude and took the arm he offered.

Jaha pulled her into a slow waltz as the music pace changed. He was still looking at Kayden kindly, but the smile disappeared from his face.

"I want you to know that I think what you're doing for your people is very brave," he said quietly so that only she could hear. When she didn't respond, he continued.

"Not many people would acknowledge it but this is a risky thing we're attempting here. We could just as easily be killing each other right now as dancing."

Kayden looked at Jaha and instantly knew that he understood her. She was grateful to meet at least one person who would speak to her honestly. He smiled warmly again, putting off the subject of the Alliance for now.

"So, you must have questions," he inquired.

"Well, just one," she answered shyly.

"Please, I'm all ears."

"Am I ever going to meet my husband?"

Jaha chuckled at that. He nodded his head understandingly.

"Well, Bellamy is a very… reserved young man."

Kayden felt a pang of relief at that. _At least now I know he's not some dirty old geezer,_ she thought gratefully. _But that doesn't mean he can't still be a huge jerk_. And that was his name. Bellamy. It sounded like a girl's name.

Kayden was lost in thought when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Startled, she whipped her head around to face the source of the sound. She stood facing a young attractive man. He had lightly tanned skin covered in freckles, a chiseled handsome face, and a mop of dark messy hair. They simply stared at each other before Jaha spoke.

"Ah, speak of the devil. Kayden, this is Bellamy," Jaha gestured. "Bellamy, Kayden."


	5. Chapter 5

Kayden gasped in surprise. She quickly gathered herself in a curtsy but Bellamy reached out his hand.

"Uh no you… You don't have to do that," he stammered awkwardly. Kayden slowly rose back up to face him.

"Well," Jaha exhaled. "I'll leave you to… acquaint yourselves." Kayden didn't realize what was happening until Jaha turned to leave. She swiveled to look back at him. She didn't want to be alone with Bellamy, she wasn't ready. When Jaha disappeared into the crowd, she swallowed her nerves and turned to face her future husband.

She almost opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it. The two stood in uncomfortable silence until Bellamy broke it.

"Do you wanna get out of here?"

Kayden was surprised by the lack of formality of the question. Up until now, everything had been carefully planned, diplomatically executed. She decided the best course of action was complacency. She remained silent but nodded and offered a warm smile (at least she hoped it was warm).

Bellamy grunted his approval and awkwardly held out his arm. Kayden took it and the two walked off into the depths of the camp, away from the music and the celebration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bellamy didn't say anything as he led Kayden towards the Hollow. It was the only place he could think of inside the perimeter that would allow them some time to talk alone before the ceremony. He looked at Kayden out of the corner of his eye. She was staring off quietly into the distance.

_Damn,_ he thought nervously. He hadn't counted on her being that pretty. When he'd approached her and Jaha, he had made a silent promise to keep himself in check. No emotions, no nerves, just politics and politeness. But everything he had planned to say or do had vanished from his mind the second she'd turned her head.

She was beautiful, plain and simple. There was no other way to describe her. But it wasn't just that. There was something in her eyes. Something behind the beauty and the etiquette. Something intelligent and confident and - _Dark,_ he thought. _There's something dark in her._

He'd put it out of his mind since then as they walked in silence. But he couldn't help but wonder who she really was under all that makeup.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they finally stopped walking, Kayden looked around and noticed that they were in a small clearing of trees. They was a pit in the middle of the space, which she assumed was for a fire, and logs placed around it. Bellamy let go of her arm and she took it upon herself to sit on one of the slabs of wood, being careful to gently flatten her white gown beneath her. When she was satisfied that no part of the dress was touching the ground, she looked up at Bellamy expectantly. He'd moved to a spot opposite her, leaning on the trunk of one of the few trees that dotted the clearing.

Kayden thought they were going to linger in awkward silence for yet the third time since they'd met when Bellamy spoke.

"Look, there's no easy way to say this but… I'll be a good husband." He swallowed nervously, looking to her for a response of any kind. She didn't answer, so he continued.

"We're both doing this for our people. And I know this is especially hard for you but… I'll do right by you. You'll be my wife, and... and I'll respect that." He nodded at the last word.

Kayden thought for a moment. She liked him, she decided. He wasn't trying to act like this was the worst or best thing that could ever happen. He wasn't exaggerating or lying or embellishing anything. He was like her - taking it at face value, calling it what it was. _I guess it could be worse,_ she thought. And he was sort of handsome. He was a rugged young man but he had a boyish charm about him that softened his features a bit. 

She still didn't know how to respond to what he'd said, though. And she had so many questions. She opted for a subject change and expressed what had been bothering her since she'd got here.

"Why would you choose this?" she asked innocently, free of judgment.

Bellamy seemed surprised by the sudden inquiry. It was the first time she'd spoken to him directly. He hesitated, stopping to think about it, and then looked at her suspiciously.

"Who said I chose this?"

Kayden looked down at her hands and blushed in embarrassment. She'd thought she'd heard someone say something about him volunteering. Perhaps she'd been mistaken.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "I thought…"

"No. Wait…" he said. "You're right I wasn't… chosen like you were."

At this, she looked up at him curiously. "Then why?" she asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Because… I mean… you did this for your people right? Even though you were chosen, you did it because you had to." He paused looking to her for approval. She nodded understandingly. He continued. "So no, I wasn't chosen. But for me, it wasn't a choice. My people come first."

Kayden was about to say something in return when a loud horn blew in the distance. She looked up at the sky. The sun was setting.

It was time for their wedding.


	6. Chapter 6

Kayden couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. She didn't even remember Bellamy walking her back to the main area. All she knew was that suddenly, she was standing in the trees nearby the celebration, watching as the people gathered and split to form an aisle. She watched Bellamy walk down the empty path and take is place next to an older man holding a tray with 2 shiny objects on it. Kayden immediately recognized them as rings.

She sucked in a breath. Her heart was pounding fast. She saw the Commander and a few of her councillors standing at the opening of the aisle. The Commander whispered something to the guard next to her and he ran off somewhere. Kayden realized they were looking for her. They couldn't see here where she was though, hidden by the trees. It was getting dark.

 _I could do it,_ she thought to herself. _I could run. They wouldn't find me. No one would know._

For the first time since all this had happened, since she'd agreed to go through with it and do her duty, Kayden looked inwards. She contemplated every choice she'd ever made, every action she ever took, every minute detail that had lead her here, to this moment in time. Time seemed to stop. She heard nothing. She felt nothing. She saw nothing.

And then she did.

She heard the people; heard them talking and laughing and joking and celebrating and cheering. She looked up and saw them hugging each other, clapping each other on the backs, fathers raising their sons on their shoulders, mothers pulling their daughters in close. It was so beautiful that, without realizing it, Kayden had begun tearing.

Then she imagined these people running, screaming, fleeing a war zone. She imagined them bloody and battered and… dead. Then she imagined her own people. Mutants being captured and tortured and experimented on. Kayden then decided with crushing realization that she knew what she had to do.

She dried the single tear from her cheek, gathered her dress, held her chin up proudly, and walked toward the Commander at the aisle's beginning. At first, nobody saw her. But then, as people started noticing her, they would stop talking and their neighbors would look and do the same. By the time she reached the Commander, the entire gathering was silent, all eyes on her.

The Commander looked at her, and for the first time since Kayden had known her, her eyes weren't that cold, distant blue. They were soft and warm and looked at her with such tenderness that Kayden wondered if her mother had somehow come back from the dead to possess the Commander's body. She had always looked at Kayden like that.

Grimelda took her hands and pulled her into an embrace; the only one Kayden had ever received from the Commander. When Grimelda pulled away, her eyes were watery. She didn't say anything but Kayden understood, like she always had. _Goodbye._

Then the Commander did something even more unexpected. She pulled Kayden a bit closer and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "You're all of us," she said. Then she pulled back and suddenly, Kayden was standing alone.

She took a deep breath and turned around. All eyes were on her. She looked up and suddenly there were no people, no guards, no Commander or Chancellor or Councillors. It was just her and Bellamy.

It was easy to focus on him. He was staring right back at her and the two just looked at each other as she walked down the aisle. Not with love. Not with passion. But with something greater. A shared understanding. A mutual agreement to omit all emotion for the time being and simply do what needed to be done.

When Kayden reached him, she turned to face Bellamy slowly and raised her head to him. He stared back at her. He wasn't smiling but his eyes were warm. Warmer than she expected. She could get lost in those eyes. He offered her his hand and she placed her own in his, resting it lightly.

The time passed slowly, endlessly. She heard bits and pieces of the man's speech. "Alliance" and "holy matrimony" and whatnot. The man tied a ribbon around their clasped hands, symbolizing the joining of two entities. Then, without looking away from her, Bellamy took the ring the man offered to him. The next words she heard clear as a bell.

"Do you, Bellamy Blake take Kayden Stark to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to forsake all others and be faithful only to her. For better or worse, with riches or poverty, through sickness and in health, until death do you part."

"I do," he breathed. He placed the ring on her finger. It was nothing special; a simple gold band with a spiraling design on it. The ring was cold but Bellamy's hands were warm. Then the man turned to her.

"And do you, Kayden Stark, take Bellamy Blake to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to forsake all others and be faithful only to him. For better or worse, with riches or poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do you part."

"I do," she said, not taking her eyes off Bellamy. She slid the matching band onto his finger.

"Then without further ado," the man announced to the people; he spoke the next line more quietly; kindly to her and Bellamy, "you may kiss the bride."

Kayden and Bellamy were still looking at each other when they leaned in. Bellamy hesitated, but Kayden closed the gap between them.

The kiss wasn't anything dramatic. Just a light press of their lips and then it was done and everyone was cheering and celebrating again like they had before. The people progressed to the second celebration. It was dark by now so there was a bonfire set up and music and dancing commenced by the firelight.

Bellamy and Kayden were led to the Head table and told to take their seats in the middle, replacing the Chancellor and her councillors. It felt strange to be sitting where she knew the leaders of the Ark were supposed to sit, but her nerves finally caught up with her and she was suddenly grateful that they had somewhere to sit rather than having to mingle with the people.

For the first time since she'd entered the camp, she realized she was hungry. She was about to get up to go get some food but Jaha stopped her and gestured for her to sit back down.

"Please, allow me," he said. He didn't say anything more before he walked off towards the buffet, but the message was clear. _The Chancellor wants you two on display._

When Jaha came back with a plate of all different kinds of food, meat and fruits and bread, she thanked him politely. He bowed to her and walked off to chat with one of her own people's councillors. Kayden ate in silence.

The brief moment that she and Bellamy had shared at the altar was gone now. All they were left with was the aftermath of what had occurred. The crushing realization of the events that had come to pass. They were married now, husband and wife. And they knew next to nothing about each other.

Kayden was grateful when their awkward silence was broken by the arrival of the Chancellor and her councillors. Kane was next to Chancellor Abby, holding a brown box. He placed it on the table in front of Kayden and Bellamy.

"A gift," Abby said sweetly, "for the lovely couple. May your bond be strong enough for us all." The gesture was kind but the Chancellor's voice was cold as ever. Her intent was clear. _Screw this up,_ her words said, _and it will be over for all of us._

Her councillors then proceeded to offer them a few smaller gifts. Jaha was the last to offer a present. He placed a black and white checkered board on the table and set a box down next to it.

"A chess set," he explained. "It brought many fond memories to me and my family. My son is gone now," he got a distant, pained expression on his face, "but I hope it brings you as much joy as it brought me and my child." He smiled at Kayden one last time and she thanked him for his gift and kind words. He bowed once more and turned to leave.

When Jaha walked away, the Commander stepped up with her Councilmen. She gestured to her guard to put down the box he was holding and take out the object. He reached into the container and laid a round object on the table. It was colored with a mix of purple and blue that glistened from within the glass shape.

At first glance, the object seemed harmless enough. But Kayden sucked in a breath as she realized what it was. _Glimmer,_ she thought, taken aback. Glimmer was a particularly talented mutant who was in charge of distant communications back at camp. She had the ability to create small orbs which she could speak through, one of which was contained in the glass ball that Grimelda had just offered to Kayden.

The Commander was giving Kayden a direct emergency line straight back to her.

She flashed alert eyes at Grimelda. The Commander spoke calmly.

"A gift, from our people to you. We hope that it gives you the strength to see the right path when it is unclear," she turned to Kayden, "and do what must be done to ensure safe passage for us all." She offered no further insight to Kayden and walked off gracefully, her guards following obediently in her wake. Kayden didn't hear the rest of the councillors present their gifts.

When they were all finished, the man who had conducted their ceremony walked up to them. He looked at Kayden as if it pained him to be the one delivering the news. Like with Jaha, Kayden got the feeling that he seemed to understand their situation better than most.

"It's time," he said simply.

At first, she didn't understand. But then her heart pounded when she realized what was happening. The final step in their marriage.

Consummation.


	7. Chapter 7

There was silence as Kayden and Bellamy were led away from the party and into the living quarters of the camp. The man alone seemed to be in charge of them. Kayden was thankful for the lack of Councillors for once. She didn't think she could take looking the Commander in the eye knowing what she was about to do.

When they finally stopped, they were facing a small structure at the edge of the camp. It wasn't much, but it seemed to be the same sort of cabin that everyone else in the camp received. The man nodded to Bellamy and Kayden and then left them to return to the now quieting celebration.

 _At least he isn't staying around to watch,_ Kayden thought. But she still wasn't all that relieved.

Bellamy and her were completely alone for the first time since they'd been married. They didn't speak. Awkward silence seemed to be becoming a trend for them. After a few moments Bellamy decided to open the door to the cabin.

Calling it a house was a bit of a stretch. The walls were made of simple wood and it had only one room. There was a meager bed in the middle, with blankets and animals pelts to serve as covers. There was a table at one end of the room with a few things on it, some cups, a vase with flowers, a small book case. The rest of the contents of the room were a few cabinets, two wooden chairs, and lanterns to be lit with fire.

Bellamy stood in the corner. It seemed he didn't know what to do either. Kayden silently wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

She swallowed. Everything she'd done up until now, all the steps she'd taken to keep her people safe, would mean nothing if she didn't do what she had to do next. She slowly walked over to the table across the room and began removing her jewelry. She felt Bellamy's eyes on her, watching her every move.

She started with the bangles. She pulled each one off and laid them on the table. Next, she bent down and removed the anklet. Finally, she pulled the amulet over head and gently laid it on the desk. She moved to take off the ring next but then thought better of it. When she was satisfied that she'd removed all necessary accessories, she started removing the belt from her waist. It was the only thing keeping the fabric on.

Her back was still to Bellamy and her hands shook as the untied it. Just when she was about to pull the knot free, she felt Bellamy's hand on hers.

"Stop," he said. "Stop, I won't do it."

Kayden breathed nervously. She swiveled her neck to face him and spoke quietly.

"But the marriage has to be consummated for the Alliance to be official…"

"I won't do it," he stated firmly. "Not like this." He began to re-tie her belt. When he was done, he backed up.

"You take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

Kayden turned to face him, puzzled. Of all the things she had expected to happen tonight, this was not one of them. She was about to walk towards the bed when something caught her eye. The amulet. It was blue like the eyes of the Commander. She picked it up and held it in her hand, studying it. She remembered what the Commander had said.

_We need this alliance. Once you're one of theirs they'll protect you. Civilians will die too. Children._

Kayden gripped the amulet tightly.

"No," she said quietly.

"What?" Bellamy asked, surprised.

"I said no." She turned to face him and laid the amulet on the table.

She walked towards him, slowly.

"You said you did this for your people. To keep them safe." He nodded. "Well, you're not the only one with people to think about. And my people won't be safe until I have a child. Your child." Bellamy swallowed. She continued walking towards him, but this time she moved her hands to her back to start undoing her belt. She spoke forcefully.

"So I don't care what you will or won't do. We have to do this." When she'd untied the belt, she pulled it from around her waist and dropped it to the ground. The dress didn't fall away completely, only loosened. She was still covered.

He looked at her, shocked. He swallowed again. "You're not much of a princess, are you?" was all he had to say.

"No," she responded matter-of-factly. "I was a warrior. A captain," she said proudly.

"A captain…" he repeated under his breath. "How the hell'd you end up here?"

She thought for a moment.

"Does it matter?" she asked.

He shook his head. She could see he was nervous. In that moment, he wasn't a man. He wasn't a soldier. He was just a boy who knew his duty, but was still afraid of it. She helped him.

Slowly, she reached up to her shoulder and pulled the fabric down. It tumbled to her feet, light as a feather. She was exposed. She hadn't broken eye contact with Bellamy yet but she watched his eyes carefully trace her body. He swallowed and looked back at her. There wasn't desire in his eyes like she had expected. He was still scared.

She was immediately grateful that, of all the people she could have been standing here with, he was the one that she'd had to marry. He looked at his feet briefly and when he looked back up at her, there was a softness in his eyes that prompted Kayden to start moving closer. But there was a strength there too. That common understanding that bonded them reflecting back at her.

"Take off your clothes," Kayden commanded. She reached up to remove the clip holding her hair in place. She let her wild mane fall freely. He pulled off his shirt, revealing the cut chest and abs underneath. When she stood close enough, she reached up to hold his face in her hands. She might have kissed him, but this wasn't a personal affair. She reached down to untie his pants and pulled them down. He removed them the rest of the way.

When he was fully undressed, she circled her arms around his neck. She pulled in close, waiting for him to move. He looped his arms around her legs and pulled her up to straddle him. She couldn't help but gasp at their sudden intimacy. He walked them over to the bed.

He laid her down gently and, without making eye contact, rested his head next to her neck. Kayden felt him moving beneath the sheets and then, she felt him thrust into her. She gasped.

He bucked his hips in a circular movement, pulling in and out gently so as not to hurt her. He was a good lover, that much Kayden could tell, but they weren't making love. This was pure business. A partnership with a clear goal and purpose.

Kayden tried to contain her exclamations but once or twice she'd slip up and gasp audibly. She forced her breathing to remain steady and low. She distracted herself by looking at his back. It was hard and covered in muscles. She could see them tensing and relaxing with each thrust. Beads of sweat started appearing on his perfect physique. She felt the build, watched his muscles harden and then felt him release inside her.

When it was done, they lay there for a moment or two. Then he rolled off of her without looking at her face and turned his back to her. She laid there and closed her eyes for a second. _It's done,_ she thought to herself. She wouldn't let emotions get the better of her. She showed him her back as well and pulled the covers over her, staring off into the distance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kayden didn't sleep most of the night but she must have dozed off at some point because when she woke, Bellamy was gone and there was light streaming in through the gaps in the shutters. She almost forgot where she was but then the gold band on her finger caught her eye.

 _Right,_ she thought. _I'm a newly-wed._

She sat up in the bed, still holding the covers over her. She was alone but still weary from the previous night. She looked at the foot of the bed to see some fresh clothes laid out, and realized Bellamy must have left them for her.

Kayden said a silent prayer for the change of clothing and _thank god,_ she thought excitedly. _Boots._

She was just pulling on the shirt when the door opened, and she turned to see Bellamy. Even though her back was to him, he realized she was still changing and turned away, surprised and timid as ever. Kayden's cheeks reddened as she finished putting on the shirt.

"Sorry…" she heard him stammer.

"It's OK…" she responded quietly. She faced him, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

"I didn't see you at breakfast."

"Umm… yeah. I wasn't hungry." She looked around the room awkwardly.

"Well," he walked over the table and placed a plate of food and a cup with yellow liquid in it. "I brought you some stuff anyways. Just in case." He gave her a tight smile.

"Thank you," she said politely. "And for the clothes," she added.

"You're welcome," he nodded.

Kayden looked down at her feet shyly and started edging the floor with her toe. She decided to speak first. "Don't you have any… work to do?" She hoped it didn't sound as rude as she thought it might. Bellamy seemed to understand.

"Uh… no," he answered simply. "The Commander insisted I take a couple days off."

"Oh," was all she could think to say.

"I could show you around the camp today. I mean, if that's what you want. I mean, if it's not-"

"No," she cut him off. She softened her voice a bit. "No that uh… that sounds good." She offered him what she hoped was a warm smile.

"Good. Good…" he nodded again. "But, uh… you should eat something first."

"I'm fine," she responded softly.

"I… didn't mean for you." She looked up at him in time to see his eyes flick towards her belly. Understanding flared in her mind.

She walked over to the table and grabbed a piece of bread off the plate in one hand and the cup in the other. She padded back to the bed and sat down at the edge, starting on the bread. Kayden ate in silence. Bellamy watched her intently. When she finished the bread, she quickly gulped down the drink which she immediately recognized as apple juice. She reached for the boots, slid them on, and tied them in a hurry.

"Are they the right size. I… had to guess," Bellamy asked.

"Yeah. Yeah they're good," she responded, getting up from the bed.

"Good," he smiled again. "Oh and that reminds me." He reached into his bag and brought out a light piece of knit woolen fabric. "For when it gets cold." He nodded at her to take it. She pulled it out of his hand and put it on. It was soft.

"Thanks," she breathed.

Kayden briefly looked around the room that would be her home from now on. She sighed, thinking of her old quarters back at her camp. She used to have to share a room with 30 other soldiers. It had been loud and dirty and difficult to live in, but she had lived some of the best memories she had with her fellow warriors there. She was going to miss that.

"Ready?" he asked.

Kayden wasn't sure if she'd ever be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I apologize in advance for the lack of plot development in this chapter. I just really needed throw in an a bit of an explainer. Please don't stop reading, a better update will follow.
> 
> *Also, there is a bit of a vulgar part at the end of this chapter, which contains coarse language. I hate these characters myself but they are necessary to the story.

Bellamy and Kayden walked side by side through the camp. Bellamy explained how the camp was laid out by order of importance and necessity.

"The idea is, if we're ever attacked, we can retreat into the camp and sacrifice any land or buildings that aren't immediately necessary in an emergency," he explained.

Kayden was grateful for his explanations. She didn't really have anything to say and they filled the gaps of awkward silence that frequently occurred between them in the short time she'd known Bellamy.

"So, the armory, infirmary, and food supply storage are close together, behind the living quarters." He pointed it out to show her. She saw guards filing in and out of the black cabin which she assumed was the armory. Her people didn't normally use weapons, warriors of her kind often had natural abilities which were useful in battle, but this part at least felt familiar to her. She was immediately nostalgic for her fellow soldiers, but swallowed down her feelings and continued listening to Bellamy as they walked.

"Here, past the living quarters is where all the basic establishments are. The food pavilion is over that way. There are 3 meals a day usually with one snack in between lunch and dinner." He paused. "I…uh… I asked my buddy in the kitchens to help you out though if you ever need anything." He rubbed the back if his neck with his hand. Kayden could see he was uncomfortable.

"Thank you," she said. She wanted to ease the tension between them so she added, "That was very… thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome," he said, looking at her for a moment before continuing the tour.

"Over here we have the wash house. It's hooked up to our electrical, so there's hot water most of the time. It's public but, men and women are separated." She nodded to show she understood.

"The rest of the camp is pretty standard. There's a gathering area, that's where everyone was last night. Uh… there's a creek down that ridge over there where we do laundry. There's-"

Suddenly Bellamy was cut off by a group of kids that came running down the pathway after them screaming his name. "Bellamy!" they all shouted, excited and giggling. Kayden watched as he turned and smiled a big, warm smile for the first time.

"Hey guys," he said to them familiarly.

One kid grabbed his arm. "Bellamy are you gonna tell a story tonight?" he asked. "Yeah! We've been waiting all week!" another added. A little girl tapped him on the hand. "Yeah, Bell," she said. "Tell a story!"

Bellamy obviously knew the kids well. Kayden couldn't help but stare. He was handsome when he smiled like that. He looked up to find Kayden looking at him and they made awkward eye contact. Kayden turned away before he could see her blush. Bellamy became visibly uncomfortable. He exhaled nervously.

"Sorry guys, but I'm a little busy right now. We'll do story time later, OK?"

A chorus of "aws" and "boos" came from the children. Then they ran off to go find something else to do. Kayden turned back to Bellamy. She nodded delicately.

"They seem to really like you," she observed. She offered him a small smile and he returned the sentiment, but didn't say anything. They stared at each other for a moment before Bellamy looked away as if he'd remembered something.

"Look, it's um… it's almost lunch. So I'm gonna head back to the… the cabin to change." She could tell mentioning their shared home made him feel as uncomfortable as she did. He continued. "But I can walk you down to the dining pavilion if you'd like. Or you could come back to the… or I could… I mean, if you want. I mean, if you need anything or…"

Kayden saved him from his own shaky thoughts. "It's fine. I can find my own way there. I remember."

He looked at her like he wasn't sure what he'd just heard was right.

"Are you sure?" he asked, puzzled.

She nodded. "You can go if you need to," she said. "I'll be fine."

He nodded back at her and then spun on his heel in the opposite direction. She looked up at the sky, squinting in the bright sunlight. It was almost noon. She turned and made her way to lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bellamy sighed as he walked down the familiar roads alone. He couldn't help but think that maybe it had been a bit rude to leave her by herself on her first day. He briefly thought about going back, but an intrusive thought entered his mind.

_She's a captain. She'll be fine._

Thinking about what she'd said reminded him of last night. He went over the events in his head.

He'd been more nervous that night then he'd ever been in his life. Watching her take off her jewelry, knowing what was coming. So many thoughts had entered his head in those brief moments. But when he saw her reaching to take off her dress, it was as if time stopped. He'd realized with undeniable certainty that he couldn't go through with it. _Maybe I'm just weak._ He'd thought to himself.

It wasn't as if he was inexperienced. He wasn't. In fact, he was just the opposite. Sex had always been a release for him, an escape. Enjoyable. But something about her; the way her hands were trembling, the formality of the affair, threw him off. He couldn't do it. He had to stop her. He _had_ to.

When she'd turned to him, when she'd spoken in that quiet, innocent voice, all he could think was _Damn, why does she have to be so fucking pretty. She's just a girl._ He was right behind her and he'd swallowed nervously when he'd realized she was even prettier up close. But he'd felt relieved when he'd re-tied her belt; like he'd done the right thing.

Then she'd turned to him, and something about the way she looked at him made him rethink everything. Her eyes changed. All of a sudden, there was that fire he'd seen briefly when they'd first met. Her eyes burned with fierce intelligence, a wild toughness that changed everything about her. _She's not just pretty. She's beautiful,_ was what he thought. _Beautiful and strong. And dark._

She'd spoken with such authority that Bellamy couldn't help but just stand there and listen. When she'd told him that she was a captain, all of a sudden he could imagine it. He could imagine her commanding warriors, leading soldiers into battle. He could also now see the resilience in her. The sense of duty. Something in him clicked. He understood her.

What happened next hadn't felt real. It had been automatic. It didn't feel like sex. It felt like strategy. It felt like they were completing a necessary task, doing what needed to be done, not for the good of the few but for the need of the many. The warrior's way. When it was over though, he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He'd turned over like a coward and laid there thinking about it all night.

In the morning, he got up to find that she had dozed off at some point. She'd looked nice, lying there asleep. Peaceful. He'd forced himself to look away though and put on some clothes before heading out the door to get some breakfast.

Barely anyone was awake in the camp, so he hadn't expected to find a group of guys already sitting at one of the tables. He'd stopped in his tracks. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Not now. He'd turned to leave when one of the guys noticed him and called him over. When the others turned to look, they whispered to each other excitedly.

 _Crap,_ thought Bellamy. _They'll want details._ He'd waved at them and reluctantly walked over to take a seat at the table. The second he'd sat down, Joey, one of the guys on his left, leaned in.

"So?" he'd asked intently. "How was it?"

Bellamy ran a hand through his hair like he always did when he was uncomfortable. "Um. It was…fine," he said simply.

"Man, you gotta give us more than that!" said Luca said, slamming his cup on the table.

"Look I don't really wanna talk about it, OK," Bellamy responded.

"That bad, huh?" one of them said.

"No, I just…"

"Well, dude. Come on then. Throw up some deets."

"Yeah!" said one. "Details," said another.

Bellamy couldn't help it. He got angry. "Look I said I don't want to talk about it!" They immediately quieted down. Bellamy had left before they could further badger him.

He'd patrolled a bit around the camp. By the time he got back to the cabin, Kayden had already been awake. He looked into the one-room house now, thinking about his life and how different things were going to be.

"It's just marriage," he said to himself. _Yeah, right,_ he thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Bellamy had left the guys at the table, Joey sneered in his direction.

"See? Guy's a complete ass. Look at him," he said to the others.

"Yeah, but he's got a fine piece of ass keepin' him warm at night," said Luca. The others at the table laughed.

"Exactly. He's cozying up to that hot bitch, the least he could do is offer up some details." Joey sniggered. "I'd like to break me off a piece of that sweet ass, but Bellamy gets it all too himself? Uh-uh, that's fucked."

Some of the other guys added in vulgar comments here and there, and they all laughed as they stuffed their faces like well-rounded pigs.


	9. Chapter 9

When Kayden finally found her way back to the dining pavilion, she was relieved to take a seat at one of the many tables lined up. If she was being honest, she'd lied to Bellamy. She didn't really know her way around the camp that well yet, and had gotten lost more than once along the way.

She'd passed by some people on her small excursion. A couple walking hand in hand, a few families. They'd all given her nervous looks but no one had approached her. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She found herself missing Bellamy. At least he was the one person who would talk to her.

She sat down and sighed. She'd thought about possibly going to see the Commander, but then realized that the Chancellor probably wouldn't have taken any chances; Kayden's people would have left last night. She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

 _I'll see them again,_ she thought hopefully. _Eventually._ Her only doubt was whether or not she'd have a child with her by then.

She was snapped from her reverie by a female voice. She turned to see a tanned young woman with dark brown hair in an intricate braid smiling at her. The girl was wearing a tank top and appeared to have been jogging, Kayden observed; noticing the sheen of sweat on her skin.

Kayden didn't know what to say. This was the first person other than Bellamy to speak to her all day. The girl saved her the trouble.

"Hey," she said casually. She seemed nice enough.

"Hey," Kayden said. She didn't want to seem unresponsive.

"I'm Raven," the girl answered, grabbing a fork and a bowl from the middle of the table.

"Kayden."

"I know. I was at the…uh…ceremony last night." The girl avoided the word "wedding" awkwardly. "And you're the talk of the town. People around here can't get enough. Personally, I think they should shove off. You're just a mutant with super cool powers, after all." Raven winked at her playfully. Kayden immediately decided that she liked her. She couldn't help but smile back at the other girl.

"There, see? She does smile. And no monster teeth. Timmy owes me a back massage."

Kayden chuckled a bit this time. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe she could…

Just when she started relaxing a bit, she heard people approaching the dining pavilion. It sounded like the whole camp was coming for the meal now. Kayden immediately became alert again. People started filing into the area.

Most people just walked in with the crowd and sat down at various tables, not paying her much attention. A few people spotted her though; they pointed at her and whispered to their neighbors like they had when she arrived at camp. Kayden thought she'd get used to the weird looks but she felt the feelings from yesterday resurfacing. She was about to tell Raven she wasn't feeling well and leave when the other girl stood up.

"Wait here," she said. Kayden saw her jog over to a group of people and begin talking to them animatedly. Kayden watched anxiously. She started tapping her leg and looking around; trying to contain her nerves. Raven re-joined her at the table with a plate of food, 6 or 7 people following in her wake. She placed a second plate in front of Kayden.

She was about to thank Raven but was immediately bombarded with a chorus of "heys" and "nice to meet yous". The people Raven had brought with her all took their seats and introduced themselves one by one. Kayden tried to keep up.

The Asian guy with the long dark hair and goofy smile was Monty. Next to him was his boyfriend, Jasper, who dawned a strange set of black goggles on his forehead. Then there was Harper, a sweet shy girl with light hair and kind eyes, Miller, who simply nodded in Kayden's direction, and a few others teenagers all around the same age.

A man with dirty blonde hair and stubble sneaked up behind Raven and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey stop that!" she cried out. Everyone at the table broke into laughter, with the exception of Kayden who couldn't help but stare in envy at the ease with which they all interacted and enjoyed themselves. Up until recently, she'd been acting similarly with her own friends.

The man grabbed Raven from behind and continued bugging her. "Wick! Hey come on, seriously! The new girl's here!" He placed one more sloppy kiss on her cheek before letting her go and sitting down on her other side.

"Hey, I'm Wick," he said grabbing a piece of bread from Raven's plate.

"More like stupid boyfriend," she muttered, shoving him.

"Hey, I'm stupid boyfriend," he repeated to Kayden jokingly. This time she laughed along with everyone else. It felt good to laugh. She started to feel at ease again.

"So," Jasper started. "What do you think of our little operation here. Pretty sweet set up right?"

Kayden gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry?" she asked.

"The camp. He's talking about the camp," Monty clarified.

"Oh. Well it's…" she struggled to find the right word. "Organized."

"You mean awesome!" Jasper exclaimed. "I mean, I bet your camp doesn't have electricity, am I right?"

"Jasper!" Monty said incredulously, shooting his boyfriend a look of disapproval.

Jasper seemed to realize the error of his ways. "Oh… sorry," he breathed.

Kayden took it upon herself to start easing into social interactions. "No," she said, "it's okay. You're right. We actually don't even live in houses. We all sleep in caves like savages." She took a bite of bread, waiting for a response. The table went silent.

"Kidding," she said, breaking into a grin.

Everyone laughed a bit uneasily at first but Kayden felt a wall breaking down as they all started conversing normally. It wasn't before long that she started actually enjoying herself. She even finished her plate of food.

Then more people started showing up. The conversation changed course from a diverse flow to one set topic - her. All of a sudden everyone was asking her all kinds of questions. What was her camp like? Did she have any cool powers? Was the food better here or back home?

Kayden felt like she was about to burst when a familiar voice quieted the crowd. "Hey, guys. Come on, cut it out." She turned to see Bellamy walking towards the table, a plate of food in either hand. Everyone immediately stopped talking.

"Let's go, get lost. Give her some space," he ordered, jerking his head to the side and gesturing to them to leave. Kayden sat quietly and shyly looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. Everyone got up and dispersed from the table, but not before directing a few "goodbyes" Kayden's way. Raven turned to her before leaving and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry about that," she said. Kayden could see genuine concern in her eyes. "You gonna be OK?" Kayden nodded and even smiled at Raven to show that she meant it. The girl returned the expression before walking off with Wick. That left her and Bellamy alone, again.

Kayden turned to Bellamy, her cheeks red. She felt like a child, what with needing his help and all. But she was still grateful for his timely arrival.

"Thanks," she said. "For…saving me," she added. He nodded in acknowledgement and sat down beside her.

"Don't worry about it, they'll cool down eventually. You're kind of just like the shiny new toy." He offered her one of the plates of food.

"Oh, no thanks. I already ate." She gestured at the empty plate in front of her.

"Oh." He looked down at the table awkwardly.

Even though she wasn't hungry, she felt bad so she took the plate from him anyways. She popped a grape into her mouth so he wouldn't feel totally useless.

"So," he started. "You seemed to be making friends. Pretty soon you'll be the most popular person here, I bet." He gave her an uneasy smile.

"I doubt that," she responded. She looked at him and found Bellamy already staring back at her. He turned away, embarrassed.

"I…uh…got you something." He reached into his bag and pulled out a few rectangular items. When he placed them on the table next her, she recognized them as books. "I know it's not much but it's going to be pretty boring for the next few days so I figured…"

"No. No they're great. Thank you," she said, picking the books up and looking at the covers. Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights. She'd read one of them before. She placed them in her lap.

"I'm sorry there isn't much to do," Bellamy said, starting on his plate of food. "Most people are working jobs during the day, and Abby didn't want you to have to be in rotation so…"

"No," she said abruptly. He stopped to look at her. She swallowed and continued. "I'd like to be in the rotation."

"Are you sure?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yeah… Yeah. If I'm going to become part of the group, I have to work with the group too." He nodded understandingly.

"Okay. I'll tell the Chancellor," he finished.

They continued eating in silence. But Kayden felt herself a bit more at ease being alone with him this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After lunch Bellamy accompanied her back to their cabin. They managed to keep up a light conversation as they walked. Kayden was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one starting to feel more at ease. Bellamy started opening up a bit more as they talked. He told her more things about the camp, pointed out some markers to help her navigate. She silently promised herself that she'd learn her way around the camp as quickly as possible.

When they made it back, Bellamy told her he was going to speak to the Chancellor about getting her into the work rotation. He said he'd be back later and left her to her own devices. Kayden opened the door to the cabin and faced the structure's one room. She pursed her lips.

 _These better be good books,_ she thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bellamy came to get her when it was time for dinner. He told her that she could get into the work rotation as soon as tomorrow.

"Thanks," she finally spoke. They were walking to supper.

"What for?" he asked. His hands clasped behind his back.

"For speaking to the Chancellor for me. Getting me into the rotation."

"That's what I'm here for," he said.

They sat down at a table together when they reached the pavilion. Raven and Wick joined them a few minutes later, kissing and acting all couple-y. Kayden and Bellamy looked at each other awkwardly out of the corner of their eyes.

Monty, Jasper, and a few more people joined the table, and before long they were all talking in animated conversation. Kayden felt at ease, even with Bellamy in her midst. He had to leave part way through the meal though, something about a mix up at the armoury. She realized for the first time that he had a high-ranking military position.

When the meal finished, Kayden watched groups of people head in different directions. Some went to the gathering area, others down to the Wash house. She even saw a group of teenagers heading towards what she recognized as the way to the clearing Bellamy had taken her to. What had he called it? The Hollow.

She wished she could follow one of the groups. If she couldn't join them it would have been nice to actually see people having fun at least. To remind her that this camp was actually capable of being a source of joy for some people. But she wasn't one of the people yet. Not by a long shot.

She walked alone back to the cabin. It was dark out by now, but Kayden wasn't afraid. Just lonely.

She stayed up reading Wuthering heights for a couple of hours when it finally hit her just how little sleep she'd gotten the night before. _The night before._

Some anxious thoughts entered her head. Tonight would be the second night that she and Bellamy would sleep together. She didn't think they would… do anything but they still had to sleep in the same bed.

She shook her head and forced herself to put the thoughts out of her mind. _Just take it day by day, night by night,_ she told herself. She yawned, and curled up under the covers. The pelts felt warm over her clothes. Before long, she found her eyelids drooping, the gentle flicker of the lantern lulling her to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kayden was already asleep by the time Bellamy got back. He tried to take off his bag and gear as silently as possible. And when he turned around to face her, he couldn't help but stare for a moment.

There it was again. That peaceful look she got when she was asleep. He couldn't help but think that it just made her look a little more beautiful. He blew out the lanterns and pulled the covers over her.

He thought about getting into bed but when he looked at her again, he made the decision to simply grab a pelt she wasn't using from the edge and sleep on the floor instead.


	10. Chapter 10

When Kayden woke up, she felt well-rested for the first time in days. She spent a moment basking in the glow of beauty sleep when she realized that Bellamy was no where to be found. He wasn't in bed beside her. _Did he run off?_ She thought jokingly. But she felt a slight panic in the pit of her stomach.

She sat up in the bed and brought her feet over the side, standing up. She grabbed her knit sweater and began putting it on in a hurry. Kayden was heading for the door when she stepped on something. Something alive. It grunted. That's when she looked down and saw Bellamy.

She had been in a such a panic that she hadn't even noticed him lying on the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief, and then couldn't help but laugh. He was awake now. When he noticed her above him, he quickly sat up. "Sorry," he grunted, blinking the sleep from his eyes and running a hand over his face.

Kayden chuckled again but then awkwardly quieted. "No, um… I should be the one apologizing. I stepped on you." He looked up at her and when he saw she was smiling, he smiled too.

She offered him her hand. He took it and she helped him to his feet.

"Should we… go to breakfast?" he asked. He'd slept in his clothes.

"Sure," Kayden said, her mouth turned up at the corner. She followed him out the door.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Kayden said anything.

"You know you didn't have to do that," she said, looking at her feet.

"Do what?" he asked, looking around anxiously.

"Sleep on the floor," she answered, turning to look at him sideways. He looked at her too. She thought he was going to say something about how he wanted to, or that he didn't mind, or maybe that he never wanted to sleep next to her again, but instead he spoke plainly.

"Noted," he said. The word itself was almost meaningless, but Kayden noticed the warmth in his voice.

They didn't talk the rest of the way to breakfast but for the first time, they weren't not talking because they had nothing to say. They weren't talking because instead, they were just enjoying the walk. It wasn't awkward silence. It was peaceful. Quaint. Easy.

When they reached the pavilion, everyone was already there this time. When Raven saw her, she gestured for Kayden and Bellamy to join her at the table. Kayden waved and smiled, and was about to walk over when she remembered Bellamy. She turned to him for approval.

"It's okay," he said. "You go. I have to go get your schedule anyways." She nodded as a thank you and he turned to leave.

She picked up some food from the buffet before heading over to join her friends. Could she call them that yet? Kayden figured she would decide that later. She sat down next to Monty and Jasper this time. Jasper had just given his boyfriend a wet kiss on the cheek.

"See? My boyfriend, the genius!" he announced to the table.

"What's he so excited about?" Kayden asked, laughing a bit.

"I just told him that he should try mixing the peanut butter with jam. He's all worked up about it now," Monty said. He smiled at Kayden kindly.

"So what's up Sleeping Beauty? Decided to get out of bed this morning to eat with us?" Monty inquired.

"More like Sleeping Bed-Head," Wick cut in, taking a huge bite of an apple.

Kayden instinctively reached up to touch her hair. She'd gotten ready in such a hurry that she hadn't even fixed it. She realized with sudden despair that she also hadn't bathed since she got here. Her hair was starting to smell.

Raven heard what Wick had said and slapped the apple out of her boyfriend's hand.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Waste of food!"

"Don't make fun of her!" she told him, gesturing with a flick of her wrist. She grabbed Kayden's hand. "Don't listen to that idiot. You look beautiful. He wouldn't know beauty if it punched him in the face," she said to Kayden, winking at her.

"Probably why you've never punched me," Wick said. Then he grabbed Raven's coat and immediately sprang off the bench and started sprinting. Raven ran after him, laughing. Kayden sighed.

Bellamy showed up just in time to take Raven's seat. He offered a piece of paper to Kayden.

"Here," he said as she took it. "This is your schedule. Chores start after breakfast and run until just before dinner, but you get lunch off and one other break depending on your rotation."

"Thank you," she said, nodding her understanding. Everyone started clearing out of the dining area. Breakfast was over. She got up to help clear and grabbed her plate off the table when she realized suddenly that Bellamy hadn't eaten anything.

"You didn't eat," she stated, turning back to him.

"It's alright. I'll get something later."

"Here," she decided, offering him her plate. She'd left over some bread and cheese. He shook his head at her. "You need it more than I do," she insisted. "You're working military."

He looked down and then looked back up at her and smirked.

"You picked up on that, huh?" he said.

She smiled back at him. "I pick up on a lot of things," she responded simply.

She left Bellamy at the dining pavilion after making sure that he finished her food. Then she pulled the folded schedule out of her pocket.

She was on laundry duty first. She remembered what Bellamy had told her - they did laundry at the creek over the ridge. She pulled her sweater tighter, breathed in deeply, and headed over to her morning job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She couldn't help but feel relieved when she saw Raven already there. She was in Kayden's rotation. When Raven saw her, she waved again like she had this morning. Kayden waved back. _At least I'll know one person,_ she thought gratefully. She wondered if Bellamy had done it on purpose.

After introducing her to the other people who'd be working with them, Raven showed Kayden the ropes of the job. Literally.

She explained what types of clothing Kayden should tie onto the ropes in the stream, and which ones she had to clean by hand. Raven showed her how to use the scrubbing board, and how to get the best clean using the least amount of soap. After, she pointed out the different bins for the different clothing.

"There you're a laundry master," she joked. When she was satisfied that Kayden could do everything by herself, she went over to her own post and worked.

Kayden worked in silence. She heard some laughter echo from behind her. She might have been a bit jealous, but she was just happy to be around people rather than in her cabin alone. And if she was being honest, she actually kind of enjoyed the work. It was calming and peaceful and Kayden liked how it was honest, straightforward labour. It reminded her of the way things ran back at her own camp.

She spent the next hour or so cleaning clothes to perfection, deep in thought, when Raven came over to check on her.

"Hey," she said kindly.

"Hey," Kayden responded back.

"Okay, look I don't know how else to say this but the others and I have been talking and we were wondering…" Kayden gave Raven a look of approval so she'd continue. "What is it that you do?" Raven smiled uneasily.

The question was vague enough but Kayden knew what Raven was asking. Kayden smiled at the other girl so she'd ease up. She looked over at the others. They were all staring at her and Raven intently, but quickly returned to work when they saw her watching.

"I bet that it's super-strength but Norma thinks it's telekinesis," Raven explained excitedly. Kayden laughed and shook her head.

"No, nothing like that," she said. Raven seemed a bit disappointed at having lost the bet, so Kayden looked at her daringly. "You wanna see?" she asked. Raven broke into a smile and nodded.

"Hold this," Kayden said, handing Raven her scrubbing board. She rolled up her pants and walked into the creek a few feet. Everyone had stopped working and was staring at her curiously. She breathed in deeply, calming herself and bringing her hands together at her chest. Then, she worked. She moved her arms and legs, becoming one with the current.

She didn't do anything major. Just a couple of fancy splashes. A spiral spray or two. But when she'd finished, everyone was staring at her in awe. She immediately blushed, and then started to panic a bit when still no one said anything. What if they thought she was a freak?

Then, Raven began clapping. A smile broke out on her face. The rest of the people followed and before long, Kayden had stepped out of the water and everyone was clapping her on the back, telling her she was incredible. Kayden was just happy that they'd thought it was cool instead of weird.

She spent the rest of the rotation answering questions about her mutation.

"No it doesn't hurt," she said to Flint.

"I can't teleport the water, just move it," she answered Kyle.

"No, I don't think it counts as a form of telekinesis," she told Norma a bit nervously. She explained how it only applied to certain things. Specifically water, earth, fire, and air. "Our guys call it bending," she told the crowd.

Before she knew it, the job rotation was over and the group headed down to lunch.

She saw Bellamy when they arrived. He was talking to some guards. When he noticed her, he waved and said something to the guards before they both walked away. She turned to Kimi, one of the women she'd worked with and handed her the cloth she'd asked for. "Bye Kim, see you later too," she said, waving back at her.

She squinted when she turned back around, tightening her lips a bit at the corner and walking over to Bellamy. He smiled as she reached him.

"So… how was your first job?" he asked. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing about it, which surprised Kayden.

"Good," she said simply. She nodded to let him know she wasn't lying.

"Anything, particularly exciting happen?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow. She exhaled smartly.

"You heard," she said rolling her eyes. "Can nothing in this camp stay quiet for more than an hour?"

"Like I said yesterday, shiny new toy." He gestured to her that they should sit down. When they did, Kayden spoke again.

"So," Kayden turned to him. "What did people say? Just how much of a freak am I?"

Bellamy turned to face her. He smiled. "They said you were amazing."

Kayden must have looked as surprised as she felt because Bellamy chuckled a bit at the look she gave him. They didn't say anything else on the subject but Kayden couldn't help but feel a bubble of happiness erupt in her chest.

They'd seen her. They'd seen what she could do. And they'd loved it.

 _Maybe I was wrong about this place,_ she thought hopefully. _Maybe I can have a life here._ She turned to see Bellamy laughing as he greeted the people who came to sit at the table with them.

 _Maybe I can have a life with him,_ she thought to herself. In this one moment, watching him talk and laugh with everyone else, the prospect didn't seem so strange.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days passed in a blur. Kayden would wake up next to Bellamy, head down to breakfast, go to her work rotations and then meet up with him again at meals. In the past few days alone, she'd worked every job from farming duty to inventory organizing.

Raven wasn't on all her shifts, but as she started to learn the lay of the land, her and the others would discuss places they could meet on their breaks and would get together and share stories and jokes and snacks that Jasper had stolen from the kitchens. Sometimes Bellamy would join, but Kayden quickly learned that his job took up a lot of his time and was often unpredictable. She started getting used to waking up in the mornings alone, going whole days without seeing him, and then listening with her back turned as he crawled into bed beside her late at night.

They'd gotten closer in the past days as well. Kayden was surprised at how comfortable she was getting with him. They were nowhere near the level of married couple, but she felt she could now consider him a friend, if not a good one at that. With only a select crowd of people in the camp that she'd really spoken to at all, Bellamy was at the very least the person who she'd interacted with the most.

It didn't hurt that he also kept giving her things. Nothing major, just small gifts here and there. But she found herself thanking him a lot.

For example, one lunch a couple days after the Mutation Demonstration, as some people had come to call it, he offered her a brown piece of cloth that was twisted intricately.

"Here," he'd said to her. "I got it from one of the women who works in clothing. In case you're sick of your hair always being in your face." She'd thanked him, genuinely grateful for the token.

She'd put her hair up in a ponytail, and couldn't help but notice as Bellamy watched her work, then blushed and looked away when he noticed her noticing him.

A few days after that, he'd come home with a brown satchel. He showed it to her, and she took it in her hands gingerly, looking carefully at the braided designs and colorful embroidery on it. "Raven told me you were going around collecting things. I thought maybe... you needed something to carry your stuff in."

He'd watched as she studied it intently. "You like it?" he asked nervously.

"It's perfect," she told him, flashing an appreciative smile.

She placed some berries in the pocket of the satchel now, sighing as she stared up at the sky. She put her hand above her eyes, shielding them from the sun. She was on picking duty now. But most of the people in camp had come to call it "Picky Duty" in reference to the old woman, Mary, who was in charge. She was very selective about the plants and berries that she accepted and often screamed at workers who handed in pickings she deemed unsatisfactory.

Raven wasn't on this rotation with her, but Kayden had become friendly with a man by the name of Clement who had warm blue eyes, a mop of yellow hair, and laugh lines and crinkles around his eyes which told her that he smiled a lot. He often spoke about his daughter and how she was turning 10 next week.

"I still can't believe I picked up that little bundle of joy for the first time 10 years ago." He shook his head. "I swear time passes fast when you're watchin' your kids grow. You'll see," he said to her.

Kayden was reminded of her other duties concerning the grand scheme of the Alliance. She knew Clement hadn't meant to bring up feelings of uneasiness, so she tried to put it out of her mind and continued working.

By the end of the shift, her bag was overflowing with all kinds of herbs, berries, and plants, and Kayden emptied it into the bin on her way out of the woods. It was time for her break.

Normally, Kayden would have met with some of her friends, but today happened to be a day where none of their shifts lined up. She sighed as she walked past the Wash house and the Hollow and headed back towards the living quarters.

When she reached the cabin she opened the door, walked in and gasped. It wasn't a meal break so she hadn't expected to see Bellamy sitting on the bed, waiting for her when she got there. He stood up suddenly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

"I wasn't scared. Just... surprised," she explained. "Pleasantly," she added, offering a smile. He returned it.

"I got some time off. I figured... we could go for a walk." He seemed to be nervous about the request. She hoped to calm him down and answered kindly.

"I'd like that," she said, half-smiling.

She turned to head out the door but he stopped her.

"Wait," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a blue triangular piece of cloth. Kayden recognized it as a bandana. He offered it to her.

She took it gingerly and studied it. She must have been looking at it intensely because Bellamy asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing," she answered, tying it around her neck. "It's just," she dropped her hands and began fiddling. "You keep giving me gifts and... I don't have anything to give to you." She looked up at him.

He seemed to be glad that she wasn't upset with the gift. He smiled at her and turned his warm eyes to hers. "I don't need anything," he said simply.

"I know," she responded a bit shyly. "I still wish I had something to offer." She looked up at him and for the first time, she saw something she hadn't seen before in his eyes. Affection.

"You don't need to give me anything, because I have everything I need," he said. He raised his arm to rub the back of his neck like he did when he was nervous. She could tell the next line was difficult for him to say.

"You're still here, aren't you?" He said timidly. Then he walked out of the cabin and left her.

At first, Kayden was so taken aback, she couldn't respond. Then she calmed herself and smiled.

 _I guess I am,_ she thought giddily.


	11. Chapter 11

They walked. And for the first time, just talked. They talked and smiled and even laughed a bit. Kayden didn't even have to think. It felt natural. It felt right.

"So, Raven tells me you're fitting in nicely. Getting the hang of things." Kayden smiled.

"What else does Raven tell you?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"Ah, don't be too hard on her. She's been through a lot." He looked down for a moment, as if he was remembering something. Then he looked back at her and it was gone. "But she likes you. She just gives me updates. Makes sure I can look out for you."

"I guess I should thank her then," Kayden nodded. "And thank you too. For everything." She turned to him, smiling.

When he made eye contact, Kayden was surprised. There was that tender look again. They came to a stop, staring at each other. Neither one spoke but she felt something shift. It wasn't uncomfortable silence, it was just silence. Kayden found herself staring into his eyes. Those warm, dark eyes that she had once wanted to get lost in.

The moment was broken however by a guard who came running down the path. He yelled Bellamy's name.

Kayden and Bellamy broke eye contact, suddenly brutally aware of their proximity. They both looked away and shifted uncomfortably. She crossed her arms defensively.

"Bellamy…" the guard said, out of breath from running. He rested his hands on his knees.

"What is it?" Bellamy asked seriously. "Is something wrong?"

"No," the guard answered, looking up. He smiled. "Octavia's back." Kayden watched Bellamy's eyes brighten excitedly. She'd never seen the look in them before.

"Her hunting party?" Bellamy asked.

"They're all fine. They just brought back a big haul."

Bellamy turned to run and then seemed to remember Kayden. He looked back at her.

He didn't need to say anything. Kayden could tell it was important to him. She nodded and offered a smile. He smiled in return and thanked Kayden with his eyes. Then he jogged down the path towards the main gate.

"Who's Octavia?" she asked the guard. He gave her an odd look and Kayden wondered if it had been a mistake to ask him. Then his eyes softened.

"His sister," he answered.

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It didn't take her long to catch up to him. When she cleared the dining pavilion, she came up on the main area. Looking around, she realized she hadn't been this close to the entrance since the day she had arrived.

She spotted Bellamy. He was talking to a girl a couple feet shorter than him. Kayden was still far but she could see that the girl had the same dark hair as Bellamy.

She thought about turning back but that was when Bellamy saw her. He gestured for her to join them. Kayden swallowed. _It's just his sister,_ she thought, trying to calm her nerves. _If she's anything like him, she shouldn't be that bad._

Kayden sighed anxiously and started walking towards them.

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"Who's she?" Octavia asked, jerking her head in Kayden's direction. She looked to Bellamy inquisitively. He swallowed.

"Okay, O," he started. "Just… don't freak out." Octavia rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip. She gave him her classic "seriously?" look. Bellamy sighed but couldn't help a half-smile.

"She's…" he looked down anxiously. "My wife." His eyes darted back up at Octavia to see her reaction. At first nothing happened but as she processed the information her eyes widened.

"What?" she said. "I'm sorry, what?"

He chuckled a bit and shrugged his shoulders awkwardly. When he turned to see Kayden approaching, he put on an arm on his sister's shoulder.

"You better pick your jaw up off the floor, O," he said quietly. "She's coming this way."

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When Kayden got closer, she saw the surprise in Octavia's eyes. _She doesn't know,_ Kayden realized with disbelief. As she approached them, Octavia turned to her and Kayden watched her blink the shock from her eyes. She shook her head, clearing her face. Then she smiled, and Kayden relaxed as she saw the same warmth from Bellamy's eyes reflected in Octavia's.

"Hi," Octavia said first, breaking the silence. She offered Kayden her hand.

"Hi," Kayden said back, reaching out to the other girl. They shook hands.

"I'm Octavia."

"Kayden," she smiled, trying to be polite. Octavia was still shaking Kayden's hand absentmindedly when she spoke.

"Wow, you're really pretty," she said, a bit mystified.

"O!" Bellamy warned his sister disapprovingly.

"Well, sorry," Octavia said offering her brother a shrug of her shoulders. "She is." She let go of Kayden's hand.

"So, my brother here tells me you're a bad-ass mutant." Octavia said to Kayden. The tone of surprise was gone from her voice.

"Oh, I just uh-"

"Can you fight?" Octavia asked, cutting her off. Kayden was a bit confused but decided to answer anyways.

"Yes," she responded simply, curious to hear what Octavia would say next. The other girl nodded.

"Then you're fine by me," she said. She clapped Kayden on the shoulder in a friendly manner and turned to leave, but looked back at her after a few steps.

"Hit him for me if he does anything stupid, will you?" she said. Then she spun on her heel and left them. When she was a safe distance away, Bellamy spoke.

"Sorry about that," he said apologetically. "She's a little…"

"No," Kayden answered, smiling in Octavia's direction. She made a decision. "I like her," she said.

"Yeah, well… she's too smart for her own good." Bellamy looked at her. "You two have that in common."

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The next few days passed uneventfully, but smoothly. Since the hunting party's return - Kayden had learned that they sent volunteers out once a month - new jobs had been added to everyone's schedules to help cure and store the animal meats they'd brought back with them.

Kayden continued to enjoy her rotations. As she got closer with all the people Raven had originally introduced her to, she started learning all sorts of new things. Stuff about the camp, useful skills. In the Apothecary, Monty showed her how to make lotions, teas, and various other herbal mixtures. Miller had also grown warmer since the first time they'd met. Their schedules overlapped a lot so they would walk together in between jobs and he would share all sorts of funny stories with her.

Octavia's arrival also brought a new joy to the camp. She now sat with the group at meals and joined them on their breaks. She was even on some of Kayden's shifts, so her and Octavia became friendly relatively quickly. Kayden remembered what the other girl had said to her the second time they'd met.

"So, I guess this means were sisters now, huh?" Octavia had said, sliding gracefully into the seat next to Kayden and taking a generous bite of bread.

Kayden had looked at Octavia, a bit surprised, but then sighed and popped a grape in her mouth. "Always wanted a sister," she'd responded. Then she'd broken into a smile. Octavia had returned it and that had been the beginning of their friendship.

Octavia turned to her now as they brushed the horse's soft coat. They were on stables duty. "Douche alert," she said to Kayden quietly. Then coughed and jerked her head in the direction of a guy with a shaved head. Kayden turned to look. She'd seen him around before but had never talked to him. He approached them. Something about the way he was looking at Kayden made her uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'm Joey," he introduced himself, smiling. She was sure it was meant to be charming, but it just gave her the creeps. When Octavia and Kayden didn't respond, he continued.

"You guys need any help over here?" he asked, coming closer to Kayden than was appropriate. She immediately tensed. It took everything in her power not to punch his lights out.

"No, we're all good here," she said coldly, not looking at him.

"You sure?" he said, this time putting his arm on the wall and leaning in next to Kayden. She could smell his foul breath. This timed she turned her murderous eyes on him.

"Why don't you go help out with pooper-scooper duty. Looks like they could use you there." Her eyes dared him to say something back. She saw something flare in his eyes for a second. Then it was gone and he sneered at her before turning to leave.

When he had gone Octavia slapped her playfully on the arm.

"Woah, what the hell was that?" she asked incredulously.

"What?" Kayden responded, shrugging. The corner of Octavia's mouth turned up in a half-smile.

"Remind me never to piss you off," she said to Kayden. They both laughed and continued grooming.

About an hour later a guard ran into the stables to get Octavia. She told him she'd be right there.

"You gonna be OK?" she said, her eyes darting to Joey who was had settled for horse grooming a couple stalls down from them. Kayden nodded and smiled to show she meant it.

"Aw, who am I kidding," Octavia smiled back. "Of course you'll be fine. But kick his ass for me if he pulls anything like that again." Then she turned to follow the guard and they left together. Kayden finished cleaning the stall in silence.

When it was time for dinner, everyone finished up their work and began filing out of the stables. Kayden was just about to follow when one of the people in charge announced that someone would have to stay to quickly feed the horses. Kayden volunteered. She immediately regretted it though when Joey also raised his hand to stay behind.

Everyone left the barn, leaving her and Joey alone. Kayden wanted to get it over quickly. Being alone with Joey sent a chill up her spine. He reminded her of a snake.

She avoided eye contact and simply told him that they would get the job done faster if they just divided the horses between them. She planned to complete the work before him and leave but he ended up finishing first. He watched her feed her last horse and leaned against a wall. She felt his slippery eyes on her and Kayden couldn't help but shift uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

She reached to untie her hair and let it fall to cover her face. She'd taken to putting it up ever since Bellamy gave her the hair tie, but she let it down now as extra cover from Joey's wandering eyes. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind and beat him bloody for looking at her like that, but she forced herself to swallow her anger.

 _He's just a creep,_ she told herself. _A creep and a huge jerk, but still harmless._

When she finished, she exited the stables without saying anything to him and set out at a furious pace. He followed her out and fell into step beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"So," he started after a few minutes of silence. "How have you been liking it here so far?"

She didn't want to answer but the way he was looking at her was even worse. She decided to keep the conversation to a minimum.

"I've seen better," was all she answered.

"Do you miss your camp?" The invasiveness of the question made her even more uncomfortable and irritated.

"I miss not having to answer intrusive questions."

"Woah, Princess. I was just asking."

"Don't call me that," she growled. She couldn't help it. This time she flashed a vicious look at him.

He smiled cunningly at her as if she'd given him exactly what he wanted. She immediately regretted losing her temper. The way he got off on it was worse than anything he'd said or done so far. He opened his mouth as if to start talking but was interrupted.

"Kayden," a familiar voice shouted. She looked up and thanked her lucky stars.

 _Bellamy,_ she thought, relieved. He was standing on the path with a guard who he appeared to have been in conversation with. He'd stopped though to get her attention. He looked at Kayden and she could see concern in his eyes. Then he turned to Joey and for the first time, Kayden saw anger on his face like she'd never seen. The woman he was talking to seemed to understand the situation and walked away.

"Why don't you head down to dinner, Joey," Bellamy said stiffly. With the way he spoke though, it sounded more like an order. "Wouldn't want the food your friends are saving for you to get cold," he added.

Joey sneered at him. Then he turned to Kayden and looked at her once more with his disturbing gaze.

"See you around," he said, smirking. Kayden's arms were crossed defensively. She didn't look at him. He seemed to get the message and walked down to dinner.

"Bellamy," Joey said as he passed by him, nodding in Bellamy's direction. Bellamy watched him go until he disappeared into the dining area. Then he quickly approached Kayden. She was looking down at her feet. She felt violated.

"You okay?" he asked, concerned. She looked up at him and his warm gaze made her feel better. She nodded slowly.

"That guy's a total creep," he said to her. "Did he say anything to you? You looked pretty uncomfortable."

She shook her head. The truth was, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She opted for a subject change.

"How'd you know I was uncomfortable anyways? I thought I was hiding it pretty well," she joked. He looked at her, and she saw the affection in his eyes again. He reached up to rub his neck. Kayden had by now come to associate the action with him being nervous.

"You… put your hair down when you're uncomfortable," he said awkwardly.

Kayden was surprised to say the least. She'd picked up on some of his quirks over the time they'd spent together. But she never thought in a million years that he could have picked up on some of hers. When he saw the look she was giving him, he shrugged sheepishly.

"What?" he said, looking at her. "I notice things." He smiled and she returned it warmly.

"Anyways," he said, breaking their eye contact. "I have to get cleaned up. I'm on patrol tonight."

"You're not eating dinner?" she asked.

"They usually bring our meals to our posts," he explained.

"Okay," she said, nodding. He was about to turn when she remembered something. "Hold on a minute," she exclaimed, stopping him. She reached into her bag and pulled out a glass container. She fiddled with it.

"I… uh… got you this. Well, made it. Monty showed me how. It's uh… it's supposed to be toothpaste." She laughed nervously, offering him the vial. "Anyways, I'm not very good at it," she added. He took it from her gingerly.

He smiled. "I told you that you didn't need to get me anything."

"I know," she said nodding slowly, looking at her hands. "But I made it so… technically it doesn't count." She looked up at him and when she saw he was still smiling, she relaxed and smiled too.

"Thanks," he said. He slipped it into his pocket and turned to leave.

"Bellamy, wait," she said suddenly. He turned back. It was quiet, and they were alone. She walked over to him quickly, staring at her feet timidly. She stopped when she was close enough.

Without looking at him, she extended her neck and kissed him lightly on the cheek. When she pulled away a bit, she saw his eyes wide in surprise. When he turned them on her though, they were soft. She stared into them.

"I like it when you notice things," she said simply. Then she spun on her heal and left him alone in the dark.


	12. Chapter 12

***I'm sorry for the huge delay in posting this chapter! Please read the bolded note at the end for more info**

Kayden woke up the next morning to find that Bellamy had come home and crawled into bed at some point during the night. It seemed he had been tired from his shift, because his gear was still on.

Kayden carefully lifted the covers and slowly eased her legs over the side of the bed. She tried to stand up as quietly as possible, but cringed when the wooden frame creaked. She turned to see if the noise had woken Bellamy, but he just shifted in his sleep. He turned over from his side and for once, lay on his back in the bed. His head lulled to the side, revealing messy tufts of dark hair.

Kayden couldn't help but stare. She'd never seen him like that before. His face was calm; empty of strain or tension. It made him look younger, more innocent somehow. It didn't last long though because all of a sudden there was a knock at the door and Bellamy's eyes flew open.

Kayden was so surprised, she nearly fell off the bed trying to pretend like she hadn't been staring at him. When they'd both gathered themselves though and Bellamy sat up, they looked at each other. The question in his eyes told her that he hadn't been expecting anyone either. Quickly, they both composed themselves.

Kayden jumped up and threw her knit sweater on, quickly brushing her hair and re-adjusting her clip. Bellamy patted down his bed-head and stood up. He seemed to all of a sudden notice that he was still wearing his gear from last night and quickly pulled it off. When they were both semi-decent looking, they turned to each other again. Kayden sighed, looking at Bellamy and offering a warm smile. He didn't return it, but she could see the warmth reflecting back in his eyes. They both braced themselves as they approached the door. Then Bellamy reached to open it.

He seemed surprised to find a young girl with wavy blonde hair and pretty blue eyes that scanned them in a familiar, analytic way, taking her and Bellamy in. Kayden watched him shake off the shock before he spoke.

"Clarke?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Hi," she answered timidly. She seemed more uncomfortable than them. "Was this a bad time? I… didn't mean to interrupt," she continued, looking past them into the room. She didn't sound very sincere, though. Kayden thought about responding, but was grateful when Bellamy answered instead.

"No, its fine," he said, nodding. "Did you… want to come in?" At that, Clarke seemed to snap to attention. Kayden watched as Clarke's eyes met Bellamy's and softened.

"What? Oh, uh no. I just… my mother wanted you two to come down to the Council room and see her," she said, offering an awkward smile. Her words were directed at both of them, but her eyes stared unwaveringly into Bellamy's. Kayden could see the familiarity in them; the ease with which she looked at him.

 _They're…close,_ Kayden realized. She was surprised to find herself a bit upset with the discovery. But then she found herself coming to an even more urgent conclusion.

Wait, mother? Kayden thought, puzzled. She studied the girl's face and intense blue eyes. Then, it clicked. She knew where she'd seen that cold, calculating gaze before. Clarke was Chancellor Abby's daughter. And Bellamy knew her. He knew her well.

Kayden's thought process was broken however when Bellamy answered the blond girl. "Okay, we'll be there," he said, nodding slightly. Clarke seemed a bit surprised at the simplicity of the answer at first, but then she gathered herself and spoke.

"Okay," she said, attempting one last smile. This time, she directed it at Kayden. Kayden didn't want to seem cold, so she returned it. Then, Clarke headed back the way she'd come and Bellamy closed the door.

When he'd secured the lock, he turned and began cleaning up the gear he'd thrown on the ground. He started getting dressed. Kayden spoke first.

"So, we're going to see the Chancellor?" she inquired curiously.

"Yeah, it's probably just a routine checkup. She's left us alone until now so you could get settled, but you've been here almost three weeks," he answered, pulling on a new shirt.

Kayden counted in her head. It was true. She'd lost track of time, what with all the jobs and the days and nights blurring together, but it had been around 20 days since she'd left her people. She started to stare off into the distance nostalgically, lost in thought. She must have looked sad, because the next thing she knew, Bellamy was touching her arm lightly.

"You good?" he said. Kayden turned to face him and saw the tenderness in his eyes again. His concern melted her nostalgia and she smiled. She nodded to show that she was fine and blinked a couple times to clear the wetness from her eyes.

"Let's go meet your leader," she said.

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When she and Bellamy reached the doors of the Council building, one of the guards lifted her radio and spoke of their arrival. Kayden couldn't help but feel nerves rising in her chest. This would be her first time seeing the Chancellor, or any other Council member for that matter, since she'd arrived. And this time, she wouldn't have a pretty dress or makeup to shield her.

She was comforted, however, when a familiarly friendly face opened the doors to the Council room.

"Welcome," said Councillor Jaha, smiling warmly at her and Bellamy. He moved out of the way and gestured for them to enter. She and Bellamy walked forward.

It wasn't much. A room with a round table in the middle and all of the Council members sitting around it. In the seat directly facing her and Bellamy sat the Chancellor, however; staring analytically as always. Kayden shifted uncomfortably under the Council's gaze but then reminded herself of the importance of impressions here. She cleared her thoughts, pushed down the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, and did her best to put on the warmest face she could.

The Chancellor stared at them in silence, while no one else in the room spoke. Kayden saw something odd creep in to the older woman's eyes. She recognized it as curiosity, and grew curious herself. Then, Abby spoke.

"So, you're fitting in nicely, I hear." She said it simply, stating a fact. But her eyes betrayed her thoughts for once. Something in the way she was studying her and Bellamy. Had she noticed the progress in their relationship? Had she not expected it? Then Kayden noticed Bellamy's eyes on her.

She turned to face him and saw his look, prompting her to speak. She opted for a simple, one-word reply.

"Yes," was all she said, staring intently at the Chancellor. The older woman regarded her; not as coldly as she had the first time they'd met face to face, but in a more content manner. Kayden realized suddenly that Abby must be glad that she had been fitting in. The Chancellor continued staring at her for a moment, studying her, weighing the truth of what she had said. Then she broke eye contact.

"Good," she declared. "You may leave, Kayden." She didn't say anything else but Kayden understood. The Chancellor needed more information from Bellamy, and she wasn't welcome.

Councilman Jaha approached her and began guiding her out of the room. She looked back and found Bellamy gazing after her. Their eyes met and the message in his warm eyes was clear. It'll be alright. He offered her a half-smile. She didn't return it, and was lead out by Jaha. He smiled kindly at her before turning and heading back inside. The doors closed behind him, leaving Kayden alone with the two guards.

She couldn't help but wonder what Bellamy was telling the Council behind those doors.

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Kayden walked in silence towards the dining area. It had been early when Clarke had come to get her and Bellamy, so breakfast hadn't finished yet. Clarke, Kayden thought curiously. She hadn't ever seen her around the camp before.

She faintly remembered spotting the blonde girl at the celebration the day she'd arrived, but Kayden hadn't been paying attention to her then. She certainly was now though.

She decided however, that she wouldn't make up her mind about Clarke until she got to know her better. There was something about her eyes, something about the way she smiled, that told Kayden that she was once a very sweet, very friendly girl. That something must have happened to her; that she'd been through things that had changed her.

Looking back on it, Kayden realized that behind the look Clarke had given Bellamy had been something similar to what she had seen in his eyes the day she'd walked down the aisle. A shared experience, a mutual understanding. Whatever Clarke had been through, she'd been through it with Bellamy.

Kayden's thoughts were interrupted, however, when Raven shouted her name. She hadn't even realized that she'd reached the dining area.

"A bit lost in thought, Princess?" Wick announced. Kayden and the others laughed as she took her seat. She thanked Monty as he offered her a plate of food.

"Hey, where's Bellamy?" Raven asked, taking a large bite of bread. Kayden sighed.

"He's… speaking to the Chancellor," she answered. Everyone at the table quieted down.

"She probably just wants some updates from him. No biggie," Raven said, laying a hand on Kayden's shoulder and comforting her.

"I know. And it's not the first time he's spoken to the Council about me either. I just... I wish I knew what they were saying," Kayden looked down at her plate but didn't reach for any food. She'd lost her appetite. Everyone at the table was silently staring at her. Wick broke the silence.

"Well, to hell with what the Chancellor or the Council thinks of you. I think you're great. After all, you haven't turned on us yet."

He'd probably meant it as a casual compliment, but everyone at the table gasped. Raven stomped her foot suspiciously and Wick yelped in pain. Jasper opened his mouth mid-chew. Monty spat out the tea he'd been sipping. Harper's eyes widened. Miller's expression remained the same but he his eyes became alert. They all looked from Kayden, to Wick, and back to Kayden; waiting for a response.

Kayden turned to Wick. The others observed in silence. He gulped under her intense gaze. Then, she broke out into laughter. Everyone was so stunned, they just stared at her. She continued laughing and even had to lay her hands on her stomach to ease the pain that was beginning to flare in her abdomen. When she was done, she turned to smile at Raven and Wick.

"I guess I haven't," was all Kayden said. Raven looked at her understandingly and broke out into a smile. The rest of the table followed. They continued laughing and talking and joking until the end of the meal.

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Kayden walked down to the creek to report for laundry duty. She had been one of the last to leave the meal to help clean up, so she wasn't surprised to find that some people had already begun the shift. She was, however, surprised to see a girl with lightly tanned skin and dark hair working by the shore. She walked over to her.

"Octavia?" Kayden asked. The other girl turned to face her and broke into a grin.

"Hey," she said.

"What are you doing here? I didn't know you were on my shift," Kayden inquired. She smiled back to show that she was happy to see her friend.

"I had to switch shifts with Louis because of some mix-up in the fields. That's why I wasn't at breakfast," she answered. While talking to Kayden she'd tried to continue washing clothes but a shirt escaped her grasp.

"Shit," she spat. The cloth drifted downstream. Kayden's reaction was automatic. She got up on her knees and motioned her hands. The water under the material rippled and sent a small wave back to the shore where the two girls were sitting. Octavia picked it out of the water and turned to Kayden.

"I will never get over how cool that is," Octavia said. "Seriously, I've seen glowing butterflies and they still don't even come close." Kayden laughed and the other girl joined her. They continued their work and conversed and joked for the remainder of the shift.

At the end, Kayden walked up the hill to lay her box of washed clothes at the deposit. She couldn't help but notice an older woman studying her, however, when she bent down to lay the box on the ground. Their eyes met and Kayden got the sense that the woman didn't like her very much.

"Yo. Kay, you coming?" Octavia asked from the top of the hill. Kayden snapped to attention and turned to the other girl.

"Uh, yeah," she answered, shaking the odd feeling off. She then jogged up the hill to join Octavia and the others.

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Kayden spent the rest of the day going from shift to shift. She walked with Miller in between Kitchen duty and Apothecary. They joked and spoke about the probability of Jasper ditching his rotation to go meet his boyfriend. At the apothecary, Monty helped Kayden finish the soap bars she'd left to set a few days prior. Jasper snuck in through the back however and grabbed Monty's hand, pulling him away from Kayden's side. She turned to Miller and he reluctantly handed her the piece of chocolate he'd been saving.

She then proceeded to Picking Duty, her last job before lunch. Clement began to babble lovingly about his family like he usually did, and Kayden listened intently as she picked berries and put them in the pockets of her bag. When the subject of the Council came up, however, Kayden told Clement about how she and Bellamy had gone to see them this morning.

"They just want to keep you on your best behavior, is all, Sweetheart. The Chancellor doesn't want you causing any trouble, so she's gotta look like she's keeping an eye on you."

 _She's already got eyes on me and everyone else 24/7,_ Kayden thought to herself, exasperated. Her eyes darted over quickly to the guard posted at the entrance to the fields. She sighed, however, and continued listening to Clement rant comfortingly for the rest of the rotation.

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When Bellamy didn't show up for lunch, Kayden decided that he must have gone straight to work after he'd finished speaking to the Council. Her shoulders drooped disappointedly. She had been hoping to ask him about the meeting. Her troubles were forgotten however when her friends joined her at the table. They all spoke about their morning jobs and Harper told them all about a hilarious mishap that had occurred in the stables that morning involving a saddle, a very agitated horse, and some apples.

Kayden and Raven left lunch early to walk to the next shift which they had together. They passed by a Councillor and 2 guards who were deep in conversation, and Kayden couldn't help but stare and think about Bellamy's meeting with the Chancellor.

"You know, you shouldn't worry," Raven spoke. "Abby may seem like a hard-ass and act like a bitch most of the time, but I've also seen her save peoples' lives. She can be just as caring as she is careful."

Kayden scoffed. "I'll believe that when I see it," she responded. Raven stopped walking and grabbed Kayden's arm lightly so that she'd do the same.

"Look, I know you and your people have had to struggle, but you don't know what it was like on the Ark. Everything up there was about survival. Abby had to make a lot of hard decisions. Everyone did." Kayden tightened her lips at the corner, and looked down timidly. Then she raised her head.

"Like Clarke and Bellamy?" Kayden said, staring at Raven with the question in her eyes clear. Raven met Kayden's eyes, then rolled her own. She slid her hands into her pockets and started walking again, kicking a rock out of her path.

"You noticed that, huh?" Raven said. Kayden shrugged, looking at the other girl expectantly. "Well, that didn't exactly happen on the Ark," she continued. She went on to explain how the Ark had been dying, and the Council had decided to send 100 juvenile prisoners to Earth. She then told Kayden about the events that had followed - her coming down in the drop ship, their clash with the Grounders, and then the rest of the Ark following them to the ground.

"Bellamy and Clarke took charge. They took care of everybody. And, even though the rest of the Ark came down and we've made a home for ourselves here, you don't forget about that. About what it was like to survive together, in space or on Earth." Raven looked at her and Kayden nodded understandingly. She knew what it was like to survive.

"The Chancellor may not be the warmest of people, but she's done the best she can with what little resources she has. We all have. Including Clarke. And Clarke may not seem it, but she's one of the most caring people I know. She's just a leader to her people first, and a friend second." The girls continued walking in calm, understanding silence the rest of the way.

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The rest of the day passed smoothly, and Kayden found herself walking back to her cabin after dinner alone. Octavia had asked her if she wanted to come down to the Hollow to hang out with everyone a bit, but Kayden told her she was feeling tired and that she was going to get some sleep. What she didn't say was that she was really too anxious to relax, and still thinking about Bellamy's talk with the Council. She became lost in thought as she walked, so she was startled when all of a sudden someone tapped her on the arm and she turned to see Bellamy walking beside her.

She was so stunned that she stopped walking altogether. Bellamy stopped as well and smiled at her. Then she blinked the surprise from her eyes, and returned a grin.

"Hi," she said, shaking her head a bit to clear her thoughts.

"Hi," Bellamy responded. He gestured for them to start walking again. Kayden nodded and turned away to hide her blush.

"So, how was the Council meeting?" she asked, slowly turning her head to face him questioningly. She couldn't help the curiosity in her voice. Bellamy chuckled a bit and nodded understandingly.

"Couldn't wait to get straight to the point?" He looked at her, smiling. She nodded shyly. "Well, it went fine. The Chancellor just asked if I thought you were fitting in, and I told her the truth."

"Which is?"

"That everyone here loves you and she has nothing to worry about." At this, he turned back to Kayden and smiled that tender smile again.

"And that was it?" Kayden asked, surprised.

"Well, she asked for some details about what kind of food you were eating but- HEY!" he exclaimed, as Kayden shoved him. Then they both broke into laughter. When they stopped, they found themselves staring into each other's eyes. They weren't aware of how close they were, however, until a group of kids came running down the path screaming Bellamy's name and they sprung apart, both startled. Kayden gathered herself and crossed her arms uncomfortably, hiding her blush once again.

"Hey Bell!" the kids shouted. They attacked him and grabbed his arms and legs. One kid even climbed onto his back. Bellamy broke into that handsome boyish smile that Kayden loved.

"Hey guys," he said warmly. Kayden couldn't help but watch admiringly at the way he handled the kids. There was such warmth and kindness in the way he picked them up and played with them.

"Bell, you haven't been at bonfire in weeks!" one boy said, tugging his arm.

"Yeah, you have to tell a story next time," the one on his back added.

"Yeah, Bell! Promise to tell a story!" a little girl repeated, tapping his leg.

Bellamy looked at Kayden pleadingly. She smiled kindly but held up her hands in a mocking gesture, showing him that she wasn't planning on intervening. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I promise," he answered the children. They all proceeded to cheer. The boy on his back climbed off of him and took off, and the rest of the kids shouted goodbyes at Bellamy and followed. They watched the children sprint down the path and disappear.

When Kayden and Bellamy were alone again, Kayden turned to him to find that he was already staring at her. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, looing down, and began walking again.

"I don't think they'll ever like anyone as much as they like you," she joked.

"Nah, they just don't know you as well as I do," he answered. She looked at him, a bit surprised at the remark. He turned to meet her eyes and Kayden noticed the affection in them again. The tenderness emanating from Bellamy was becoming a recurring emotion.

"What's not to like?" he said, turning away and shrugging his shoulders.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, but Kayden couldn't help but smile at what Bellamy had said.

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**Hey guys! So I'm so sorry that I took so long with this update. I tried to make it a bit longer than normal to compensate.**

**Anyways, I've been thinking of maybe pulling back updates to every Sunday.**

**The reason for this is that, when I started this story, I was on break from school. But after chapter 11, I came back. I don't really have a lot of time during the week now.**

**Now this doesn't mean there will never be updates during the week. If I find myself with some free time, I will try to write in extra chapters, I just don't to make any daily update promises that I can't keep.**

**I'm really excited to continue telling this story. Thanks so much for all your support and for being so patient!**

**PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REVIEW OR PM ME ABOUT ANYTHING IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.**


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